title: Heparin oligosaccharides bind L- and P-selectin and inhibit acute inflammation.
abstract: Initial attachment of leukocytes to the vessel wall at sites of inflammation is supported by a family of carbohydrate-binding adhesion molecules called the selectins. Selectin ligands include sialyl-Lewis x (sLex, Neu5Ac alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4[Fuc alpha 1-3]GlcNAc--) and related structures. We report here that defined heparin oligosaccharides interact with the selectins. Heparin chains containing four or more monosaccharide residues inhibited the function of L- and P-selectin, but not E-selectin, in vitro. In a competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measuring inhibition of solution-phase selectin-Ig fusion proteins (selectin-Ig) binding to immobilized bovine serum albumin-sLex neoglycoprotein, a heparin-derived tetrasaccharide mixture inhibited 50% of L- and P-selectin-Ig binding (IC50) at 200 +/- 40 mumol/L and 850 +/- 110 mumol/L, respectively. A single hexasulfated tetrasaccharide (delta UA2S alpha 1-4GlcNS6S alpha 1-4IdoA2S alpha 1-4GlcNS6S) was particularly active against L- and P-selectin-Ig (IC50 = 46 +/- 5 mumol/L and 341 +/- 24 mumol/L). By comparison, the tetrasaccharide sLex was not inhibitory at concentrations up to 1 mmol/L. In cell adhesion assays, heparin tetrasaccharides reduced binding of neutrophils to COS cells expressing P-selectin but not to COS cells expressing E-selectin. They also blocked colon cancer cell adhesion to L- and P-selectin but not E-selectin. In a model of acute inflammation, intravenously administered heparin tetrasaccharides diminished influx of neutrophils into the peritoneal cavities of thioglycollate-treated mice. We conclude that heparin oligosaccharides, including non-anticoagulant tetrasaccharides, are effective L- and P-selectin inhibitors in vitro and have anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cecconi
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aruffo
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Linhardt
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019041:L-Selectin; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019007:P-Selectin; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D019007:P-Selectin; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D019041:L-Selectin; D006493:Heparin