Heparin sodium salt from porcine intestinal mucosa has been used as a M199 medium supplement used for maintaining human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Heparin sodium salt is the salt form of heparinic acid and is a polymer classified as a mucopolysaccharide or a glycosoaminoglycan. It is an anticoagulant that produces its major anticoagulant effect by activating antithrombin. Heparin binds to antithrombin III, a naturally occurring plasma protease inhibitor and accelerates significantly the rate at which antithrombin III (AT-III) inhibits coagulation proteases (factor Xa and thrombin). Additionally, it also facilitates the stabilization and regulation of tryptase as an enzymatically active tetramer.