GSNO increases human fibrin clot void volume.

<p>Human fibrin clots were prepared and imaged as described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043660#s2" target="_blank">methods</a>. 2D multiphoton images contain spatial information that can be used to quantify clot void volume and projected clot void area from a stack of three images. The calculation uses binary images of clots acquired at 40,50,60 microns above the clot surface, where white pixels are fibers and black pixels are empty space. Panel A shows 3 image stacks for control (C₁,C₂,C₃) and 2.5 mM GSNO (B₁,B₂,B₃), resulting in projected image C and B, respectively. Both clot void volume and projected clot area were insensitive to GSNO at low concentrations, but increased once GSNO exceeded 1.7 mM, panel D. At 3.75 mM GSNO, only fibrin agglomerates were present in plasma, rendering clot void volume effectively 100%, panel D. *p<0.05, compared to control.Scale bars are 8.5 um.