Absence of intravascular bubble nucleation in dead rats.

Results indicate that at the air supersaturations attained in the isolated IVCs a) blood is resistant to de novo bubble formation; b) preexisted bubbles are dissolved by compression; c) bubbles in water originate from preexisting gas nuclei; and d) iron filings harbor gas nuclea that are able to survive 122 atm (12.4 MPa) overpressures and form bubbles on subsequent decompression.