Pharmacologic properties of an unfractionated heparin butyryl derivative with long-lasting effects

This article reports on the pharmacologic properties of an O-acylated butyryl derivative (C4-UH) of unfractionated heparin (UH). In a purified system, the ability of C4-UH to catalyze the inhibition of thrombin and of factor Xa in the presence of antithrombin III was similar to that of UH. Addition of albumin (10 mg/ml) to the reagents reduced the antithrombin and antifactor Xa catalytic potency of C4-UH 68-fold and 20-fold, respectively, and did not alter those of UH. As judged from the prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time and the thrombin clotting time, the anticoagulant activities of C4-UH were two times weaker than those of UH. After calibration against UH, the antifactor Xa-specific and antithrombin-specific activities were two and 6.6 times lower, respectively. After bolus intravenous injection into rabbits, the apparent clearances of C4-UH were reduced 2.4 (antifactor Xa activity) and 3.2 times (antithrombin activity) in comparison with those of UH. This property accounted for the higher plasma concentrations generated during a constant infusion of the same dose. In the Wessler thromboplastin model, the minimum doses providing the maximum antithrombotic effect after bolus injection were equivalent for both compounds when expressed as antifactor Xa units; the duration of the antithrombotic effect of this derivative was prolonged, whereas the hemorrhagic potential was unaffected. This study opens a new concept for heparin derivatives having lower clearances and long-lasting effects. These properties could be linked to nonspecific binding of C4-UH to plasma proteins, thereby reducing the amount of free compound available to interact with antithrombin III.