Extracorporeal Pharmacology: Heparin

Microelectrophoresis of Heparin (A Modified Technique-But Unperfected)

University of Tennessee, Department of Pathology, Memphis, Tennessee

Abstract

Apparatus and technique for the microelectrophoresis of heparin on an agarose gel are described in detail. Four brands of commercial gut mucosa heparin were tested. All had a fast component and a slow component, the latter migrating 0.88 (0.86 to 0.91) relative to the fast band. The difference in the rate of migration of the commercial preparations (1.02 to 0.97 relative to the arbitrary standard of 1.0) is probably within the error found when the standard was run against itself (0.96-1.02). No mucopolysaccharide or protein impurities were found. There was no observed difference between the migration pattern of gut heparin and the one brand of lung heparin tested. Future attempts at further separation of the 2 fractions is also discussed.