EFFECT OF HEPARIN ON CELL-PROLIFERATION - LACK OF CORRELATION WITH HEPARIN-BINDING SITES ON CELL-MEMBRANE

in this study an attempt was made to correlate the in-vitro anti-proli ferative effect of heparin with the heparin binding on the cell surfac e. Cells with different sensitivities to the anti-proliferative effect of heparin (BHK-21, FAO, SMC, BAEC, A-431, V-79, and skin fibroblasts ) were incubated with [H-3]heparin either in the presence or in the ab sence of unlabelled heparin. A saturable binding was found only in BHK -21, FAG, SMC, BAEC and V-79. Scatchard analysis revealed the presence of a single class of binding sites. The binding of [H-3]heparin was e fficiently displaced by unlabelled heparin, pentosan polysulfate and l ow-molecular-weight heparin, but not by dermatan sulfate. Although the sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effect of heparin varied consid erably among the cell types (BHK-21 >SMC, FAO >BAEC >V-79), there was no correlation between the reduction of proliferation of these cells a nd either their heparin binding capacity or the number of binding site s per cell.