title: Heparin inhibition of endotoxin-dependent Limulus amebocyte lysate coagulation.
abstract: Addition of commercial heparin to preparations of the coagulation system obtained by hypotonic lysis of Limulus amebocytes, prior to the addition of endotoxin from gram-negative bacteria, inhibited gelation. Activation of the cell-lysate proclotting enzyme, utilizing a diluted lysate preparation and synthetic substrates, was inhibited to a comparable extent with either anticoagulantly active or inactive heparin. Other glycosaminoglycans, including heparan sulfate, dermatan sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, and chondroitin 6-sulfate, did not inhibit the generation of clotting enzyme activity. Experiments conducted with preparations of proactivator(s) and proclotting enzyme, obtained by fractionation of lysate with heparin-Sepharose, revealed that inhibition of endotoxin-dependent activation of amebocyte lysate by heparin is mediated by precipitation of the proactivator(s) and can be prevented by increasing the salt concentration.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Marcum
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008033:Limulus Test
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D006493:Heparin