Final answer:
To prevent tissue sample coagulation during centrifugation, ensure to use anticoagulant-containing tubes like those with heparin or EDTA, which inhibit the coagulation cascade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tissue sample might be coagulating during centrifugation because of the presence of clotting factors, such as fibrinogen, which when converted to fibrin, can create a network that traps blood cells and platelets forming a clot. To prevent coagulation during centrifugation, it is essential to use anticoagulants like heparin or EDTA in the collection tubes.
Heparin acts by enhancing the activity of antithrombin, which inactivates several enzymes of the coagulation system, while EDTA works by chelating calcium, which is a necessary component for blood clotting. Ensuring that proper tubes with anticoagulants are used is crucial for obtaining plasma without coagulation.
If blood samples are being processed, using tubes containing lithium heparin is recommended, as this helps to obtain plasma without coagulation. For other types of tissue samples, considerations on anticoagulants, temperature, pH, and other factors that could lead to the activation of the coagulation pathways should be made.