title: Heparin inhibition of polymorphonuclear leukocyte activation in vitro. A possible pharmacological approach to granulocyte-mediated vascular damage.
abstract: The "in vitro" effects of heparin on different functions of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes were studied. Granulocyte aggregation, enzyme release induced by FMLP and zymosan-activated serum and superoxide anion and chemiluminescence generated by FMLP were assessed. Heparin (25-500 micrograms/ml) was able to inhibit in a dose-dependent way cellular aggregation and degranulation induced either by FMLP or by zymosan-activated serum. FMLP-dependent superoxide anion generation and chemiluminescence were specifically inhibited by heparin at the concentration of 25 micrograms/ml. Our results showed that heparin "in vitro" inhibits all the aspects of the functional and metabolic granulocyte activation. A possible protecting effect of the drug on leukocyte-mediated tissue injury and vascular damage is discussed.
mesh_terms: D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D013481:Superoxides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D006493:Heparin