Fibrinogen adsorbs from aqueous media to microscopic droplets of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and remains coagulable

Fibrinogen binds from aqueous media containing it to droplets of linear tri methylsilyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) dispersed in those sam e media. Once bound, fibrinogen elutes from emulsified droplets of PDMS onl y very slowly, even when incubated in buffer that contains a physiologic co ncentration of the protein. The bound fibrinogen is coagulable, as indicate d by the thrombin-dependent agglutination of droplets. Thus fibrinogen boun d to droplets of PDMS renders an adhesive potential to the surface of the d roplets, a potential that may have relevance to the biologic processing of the polymer in vivo. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.