INFLUENCE OF HEPARIN, PROTAMINE AND POLYBRENE ON THE TIME INTEGRAL OFTHROMBIN GENERATION (ENDOGENOUS THROMBIN POTENTIAL)

We investigated the anticoagulating and heparin-neutralizing propertie s of protamine and polybrene (hexadimethrine bromide), using the endog enous thrombin potential (ETP) as the parameter to access plasma coagu lability. The hypocoagulability induced by high doses of heparin (3 IU /ml) could be reversed by addition of protamine to a very limited exte nt only, Polybrene on the other hand did neutralize heparin at the equ ivalent concentration and a two-fold excess did not influence the ETP parameters, In vivo neutralization of high-dose heparin with protamine should therefore be reconsidered. Our experiments suggest polybrene t o be superior over protamine with respect to neutralization of high do ses of heparin.