P. Duchaussoy et al., Assessment through chemical synthesis of the size of the heparin sequence involved in thrombin inhibition, CARBOHY RES, 317(1-4), 1999, pp. 85-99
Deca- to eicosasaccharides having the generic structure methyl(sodium 2,3-d
i-O-methyl-4-O-sodium sulfonato-alpha-L-idopyranosyluronate)-(1 --> 4)-[(2,
3,6-tri-O-sodium sulfonato-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1 --> 4)-(sodium 2,3-di
-O-methyl-alpha-L-idopyranosyluronate) -( 1 --> 4)](n)-2,3,6-tri-O-sodium s
ulfonato-alpha-D-glucopyranoside have been synthesized from a single disacc
haride precursor. All of them bind to and activate antithrombin. When n les
s than or equal to 6 only Factor Xa inhibition is observed, whereas when n
> 6 Factor Xa and thrombin are both inhibited in the presence of antithromb
in. These results indicate that, in heparin, the sequence involved in antit
hrombin-catalyzed thrombin inhibition is a pentadecaor a hexadecasaccharide
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