The effect of temperature on the extent of platelet adhesion to foreign surfaces.

For a given temperature the extent of platelet adhesion increased with increasing substrate surface tension, in agreement with earlier findings. For a given substrate platelet adhesion decreases linearly with decreasing temperature. Morphometric evaluation of the adhering platelets indicated that the extent of platelet spreading as a function of temperature follows the same pattern as the extent of platelet adhesion. Smaller quantities of ADP were required to induce aggregation at the reduced temperatures. Substrate roughness did not appear to influence the extent of platelet adhesion to any of the surfaces for any of the temperatures examined.