The Anticoagulant Effect of ω-Heparin (Whale Heparin)

Abstract

A single dose of fifty milligrams of [omega]-heparin (1 mg of body weight) newly isolated from the whale lung and intestine was injected intravenously to volunteers. The change of coagulating activity was followed up by the thrombelastogram. Comparing with beef-heparin, [omega]-heparin was found to have more potent anticoagulant activity and longer duration of the effect at the same dose level. The prolongation of the coagulation time was still observable 6 hours after the use of [omega]-heparin, while beef-heparin lost its effect within 4 hours. Neutralization test by protamine sulfate showed that [omega]-heparin could not be completely neutralized by the same dose of protamine sulfate and a light anticoagulant activity remained after 1:1 neutralization.