Regeneration of peritoneum: a fibrinolytic study.

The healing of peritoneal wounds has been studied using a fibrin slide technique. Normal peritoneal mesothelium shows fibrinolytic activity. During the first 48 hours of healing fibrinolytic activity is absent from the wound surface but thereafter gradually increases until 8 days, when peritoneal regeneration is complete. At this time the activity is much greater than that in normal mesothelium. The results suggest that fibrinolytic activity of regenerating mesothelial cells will allow them to penetrate into and lyse fibrinous adhesions before fibroplasia occurs, thus preventing the formation of permanent fibrous adhesions.