Oral heparin prolongs survival of skin allografts

Recent data suggest that low dose subcutaneous heparin treatment inhibits cell-mediated immune reactions. Administering heparin by routes other than injection would be both convenient and safe clinically. The results of this study show that heparin can be absorbed from the digestive tract of mice and cause disturbances of coagulation, which occur after a prolonged administration of its higher doses. Moreover, oral heparin has an immunosuppressive action, as evidenced by an ability of its lower doses to slow down the process of rejection of both primary and secondary skin allografts in mice. The immunosuppressive effect of heparin is unrelated to its anticoagulant activity.