Binding of antithrombin to immobilized heparin under varying flow conditions

Rheologic factors are likely to influence the balance between thrombotic and antithrombotic forces at the level of the vascular wall. In this study, the effects of flow-velocity/wall shear stress on the interaction of antithrombin (AT) with surface-immobilized heparin were investigated. The binding of AT to low-affinity and high-affinity heparin could be discriminated by measurements at physiological of elevated ionic strength. Under low shear stress conditions, substantial binding of AT to both high- and low-affinity heparin was observed, in relative quantities largely reflecting the proportion of these polysaccharide populations on the surface. With increasing shear stress, the binding to high-affinity sites was relatively constant, while total low-affinity binding decreased. Furthermore, under the highest shear stress (greater than 1,000 N/m2), the binding of AT to low-affinity heparin completely disappeared while binding to the high-affinity fraction persisted. These results were related to values obtained in a mathematical model, describing the theoretical maximum transport of AT from the liquid phase to the surface under the conditions used in the experimental system.