INHIBITION OF NEUTROPHIL FUNCTION IN-VITRO BY HEPARAN-SULFATE

The profibrinolytic and antithrombotic glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfa te (HS) was tested in vitro on some neutrophil functions induced by se veral stimuli. HS 1-500 mug/ml was able to significantly inhibit, in a dose-dependent fashion, superoxide anion generation, lysozyme and bet a-glucuronidase release from neutrophils stimulated with the formylate d oligopeptide fMLP, the ionophore A23187, and Platelet Activating Fac tor. Such an effect could represent an additional therapeutical benefi t in those pathological conditions in which neutrophil activation cont ributes to tissue injury and vascular damage.