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Inhibition of plasmin by antithrombin-heparin complex. II. During thrombolytic therapy in man.

The role of antithrombin as an inhibitor of plasmin in the presence and absence of heparin was studied during thrombolytic therapy in 12 patients with vascular occlusive disease. The extent of plasmin-antithrombin-(heparin) complex formation was studied by intravenous injection of iodine-labelled antithrombin (5-20 muCi) and quantitation of the amount of antithrombin bound to plasmin. In the absence of heparin, less than 0.8% of the labelled antithrombin was recovered in the plasmin-antithrombin complex but between 1.2 and 4.8% following injection of 5000 iu of heparin. Thus only between 3 and 11% of the in vivo formed plasmin is neutralized by antithrombin-heparin complex. Repeated activation of the fibrinolytic system resulted in a shortening of the plasma radioactivity half-life of labelled antithrombin from 2.45 to 2.03 d in the absence of heparin (three patients), and from 3.13 to 2.35 d following heparin administration (two patients). This increased turnover does not result in a decrease of the plasma antithrombin level.

Adult↗

Heparin-antithrombin III binding. In vitro and in vivo studies.

Heparin antithrombin III binding was studied by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. In plasma and purified antithrombin III standard, multicomponent patterns were obtained with low concentrations of mucosal heparin. There is evidence that antithrombin III may bind more than one heparin molecule. At high heparin concentration (greater than 16 U/ml), single symmetrical peaks were obtained. Serum samples showed two antithrombin III peaks due to a decreased heparin binding of the slower peak (2.1-3.9 times), which was probably antithrombin III-activated procoagulant complexes. Heparin analogue (A 73025) also bound antithrombin III in vitro but the mobility of the peak was slower than with mucosal heparin and only a single peak was obtained in serum samples. Radioimmunoassay showed a decreased binding of antithrombin III antibody to heparin-antithrombin III complex. Venous occlusion to the forearm resulted in a slow second peak in the plasma. Heparin therapy gave rise to a double peak in the plasma antithrombin III profile and with continuous infusion, quantitative decreases were noted in all subjects studied, two of whom rethrombosed at the end of 7 days therapy.

Animals↗

Antithrombin III inhibits thrombin-induced proliferation in human arterial smooth muscle cells.

Thrombin has attracted increasing attention as a possible mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells in lesion development both after vascular injury and in atherogenesis. In this study, the ability of antithrombin III to inhibit alpha-thrombin-induced DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in human arterial smooth muscle cells was analyzed. We demonstrate a concentration-dependent initiation of DNA synthesis and cell proliferation by alpha-thrombin. This effect was abolished when complex formation with antithrombin III was allowed before thrombin was added to the cell cultures. Addition of alpha-thrombin and antithrombin III simultaneously at the beginning of the incubation period also resulted in an inhibition of thrombin-induced DNA synthesis, but to a lower degree. The inhibitory activity of antithrombin III was enhanced in the presence of heparin, which on its own had no inhibitory effect on thrombin-induced DNA synthesis. In contrast, the mitogenic activity of alpha-thrombin could be inhibited by heparin in the presence of low concentrations of serum. This inhibition was dependent on the presence of antithrombin III in serum, since heparin lacked effect if antithrombin III was depleted from serum by immunoaffinity chromatography. Analysis of the enzymatic activity of thrombin showed that the influence on catalytic activity of thrombin corresponded to the mitogenic activity of thrombin in the presence of heparin, antithrombin III, and serum. The results suggest that the mitogenic activity of thrombin is regulated by antithrombin III. Therefore, antithrombin III may serve dual functions by inhibiting thrombin in the coagulation cascade and by neutralizing its growth-promoting effects on vascular smooth muscle cells.

Antithrombin III↗

Modulation of glycosaminoglycan production and antithrombin III binding by cultured aortic endothelial cells treated with 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-xyloside.

The interaction between antithrombin III and heparinlike glycosaminoglycan molecules present on the vascular surface seems to play a significant role in the regulation of coagulation. We have tested the hypothesis that altered synthesis of glycosaminoglycans by endothelial cells could influence this interaction by using 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-xyloside for metabolic perturbation of glycosaminoglycan production. Incubation of purified porcine 125I-antithrombin III with cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells demonstrated specific, time-dependent, saturable binding of this protease inhibitor to the endothelial cell surface with antithrombin III concentration at half-maximal binding of approximately 40 nM. This binding was displaced by heparin and was completely abolished by selective removal of heparan sulfate from cells with heparitinase, indicating that antithrombin III binds to heparan sulfate on the surface of endothelial cells. Incubation of cell cultures with beta-D-xyloside resulted in a reduction of maximum antithrombin III binding by approximately 65% with little alteration in binding affinity. beta-D-Xyloside did not affect the cellular growth or morphology. Reduction of the binding after exposure to various concentrations (33 to 500 microM) of xyloside occurred in parallel with the decrease in incorporation of both 35S-sulfate and 3H-glucosamine into cell surface heparan sulfate. Whereas the size of heparan sulfate chains derived from the cell surface was not altered by xyloside treatment, they appeared to have slightly less net negative charge and a significantly reduced proportion of the molecule with high affinity for antithrombin III in the presence of xyloside. On the other hand, secretion of free chondroitin sulfate (and dermatan sulfate) chains into the medium was markedly increased (16-fold) in the presence of xyloside, accompanied by a smaller increase in secretion of free heparan sulfate chains. There was a good correlation between conditions with decreased antithrombin III binding and an inhibition of the endothelial cell-mediated acceleration of thrombin inactivation by antithrombin III. These results suggest that beta-D-xyloside caused a dose-dependent decrease in production as well as some subtle structural alterations of cell-surface-associated heparan sulfate, which could serve as binding sites for antithrombin III on the endothelial cells and mediate enhancing the anticoagulant activity of this protein. This system may offer a potentially useful model to investigate the possible mechanisms responsible for the development of a procoagulant state involving these endothelial macromolecules.

Animals↗

Adjunctive intracoronary infusion of antithrombin III during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Results of a prospective, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Heparin needs the plasma protein antithrombin III to function as an inhibitor of thrombin, and local antithrombin III deficiency might therefore limit the antithrombotic effectiveness of heparin during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present double-blind study, 615 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), of a total of 713 stenoses, were prospectively randomized to receive a bolus injection of 15,000 U heparin followed by a continuous intracoronary infusion via the guiding catheter of either 250 U heparin per minute or 250 U heparin plus 25 U antithrombin III per minute during the procedure. Four clinical variables, 19 lesion-specific characteristics, and 16 procedure-related variables were evaluated. Procedural success was assessed by quantitative angiography; procedure-related ischemic complications were analyzed during in-hospital follow-up. Procedural success rates (< 50% final diameter stenosis and no major ischemic complication) were similar, with 85% in the heparin group (n = 324 patients) and 83% in the heparin+antithrombin III group (n = 291 patients). Percent diameter stenosis after PTCA was 39 +/- 18% in the heparin group and 40 +/- 20% in the heparin+antithrombin III group (NS). There were no differences between the two groups with respect to PTCA-related acute vessel occlusion, angiographic evidence of intracoronary thrombus formation, post-procedure creatine kinase increase, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or emergency coronary artery bypass surgery. High-risk subgroup analysis revealed no beneficial effect of adjunctive intracoronary antithrombin III in any of the analyzed subgroups. In addition, although risk stratification according to the criteria of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force classification proved to be very useful for the entire study population, no beneficial effect of intracoronary antithrombin III infusion was observed in any of the different risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with heparin alone, adjunctive intracoronary antithrombin III therapy does not appear to have any beneficial effect on procedural outcome as well as type and frequency of acute complications during PTCA even in subgroups of patients with a high risk for thrombotic complications. Thus, a local deficiency of antithrombin III does not play a major role for the failure of heparin to abolish thrombotic complications during PTCA.

Aged↗

Demonstration of altered antithrombin III activity due to nonenzymatic glycosylation at glucose concentration expected to be encountered in severely diabetic patients.

The effect of nonenzymatic glycosylation on the kinetics and structure-function relationships of antithrombin III were investigated at normal physiologic concentrations of antithrombin III and glucose, which are 5.2 microM and 5 mM, respectively. The results were compared with antithrombin III incubated at the glucose concentration expected to be found in severely diabetic patients (15 mM). Antithrombin III incubated at 5 mM lost 33% of the heparin cofactor activity after 7 days, whereas antithrombin III incubated at 15 mM lost 50% for the same period. Under both conditions, half of the heparin cofactor activity was lost after 15 days. When D-[U-14C]glucose was used as tracer, approximately 0.6 mol glucose/mol protein was incorporated after 10 days at both concentrations of glucose. A detailed evaluation of the kinetics of inhibition of thrombin by glycosylated antithrombin III revealed that the second-order rate constant is three times smaller than that of normal antithrombin III. On the basis of these data, it is concluded that glycosylated antithrombin III with 50% depressed heparin cofactor activity is three times weaker than normal antithrombin III as an inhibitor of thrombin. The implications of these observations with respect to the possible pathogenesis of thrombosis in diabetes are discussed.

Antithrombin III↗

Conformational states of vitronectin: preferential expression of an antigenic epitope when vitronectin is covalently and noncovalently complexed with thrombin-antithrombin III or treated with urea.

A difference in recognition of the adhesive glycoprotein vitronectin (also called S-protein, serum spreading factor, and epibolin) by monoclonal antibody 8E6 (Hayman EG, et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:4003, 1983) was investigated using a competitive enzyme-immunosorbent assay and immunoaffinity chromatography. Recognition of vitronectin in serum was approximately 50-fold greater than recognition of vitronectin in plasma. Recognition of vitronectin incubated with heparin, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, or heparin and thrombin-antithrombin III complex together was 2.5-, 7-, or 32-fold greater, respectively, than recognition of vitronectin alone. Thrombin or antithrombin III by itself did not induce the antigenic change. Factor Xa-antithrombin III was less effective than thrombin-antithrombin III in induction of the change. Dextran sulfate and fucoidan were more potent than heparin in induction of the antigenic change, whereas dermatan sulfate, hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, or keratan sulfate were less effective. Immunoblotting analysis of serum and of vitronectin incubated with thrombin and antithrombin III demonstrated the presence of complexes composed of vitronectin and thrombin-antithrombin III that could only be dissociated with reducing agent. N-ethylmaleimide completely blocked the formation of the presumably disulfide-bonded complexes and partially blocked the antigenic change. Both non-disulfide-bonded and disulfide-bonded vitronectin bound to antibody-Sepharose from a mixture of vitronectin and thrombin-antithrombin III. Treatment of vitronectin with 8 mol/L urea resulted in enhanced recognition by the monoclonal antibody. Thus, the 8E6 antibody reacts with an epitope that is preferentially expressed by noncovalently and covalently linked vitronectin/thrombin-antithrombin III complexes and by urea-treated vitronectin. The change in vitronectin induced by thrombin-antithrombin III, therefore, is a physiological correlate of urea treatment and of adsorption of vitronectin onto tissue culture plastic (as is done in cell adhesion assays). The change may be important for expression of vitronectin activity.

Antithrombin III↗

The heparin binding site of human antithrombin III. Selective chemical modification at Lys114, Lys125, and Lys287 impairs its heparin cofactor activity.

Heparin binds to human antithrombin III and accelerates its inhibitory activity in the blood coagulation system. Previous reports (Rosenberg, R. D., and Damus, P. S. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 6490-6505; Pecon, J. M., and Blackburn, M. N. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 935-938) have shown that selective chemical modification of a limited number of lysine residues in antithrombin III causes drastic loss of its heparin cofactor activity. We have performed chemical modification of antithrombin III with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in order to determine the location of these lysine residues. When antithrombin III was treated with 100 M excess of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid for 10 min, about 3.2 mol of amino group per mol of antithrombin III were modified. The heparin cofactor activity dropped to about 25%, whereas the progressive inhibitory activity (in the absence of heparin) remained essentially intact (about 95%). The modified amino groups were identified to be Lys114 (75%), Lys125 (94%), and Lys287 (96%). These results were obtained by comparing and analyzing the cyanogen bromide fragments derived from native antithrombin III and the 10-min modified antithrombin III. When antithrombin III was pretreated with heparin, followed by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid modification, the extent of modification at Lys114 and Lys125 decreased from 75% and 94% to 20% and 40%, respectively, whereas the modification at Lys287 remained nearly quantitative (greater than 95%). Based on these results, we conclude that Lys114 and Lys125 are essential for the heparin cofactor activity of human antithrombin III.

Amino Acids↗

Antithrombin III activity in women with hypertension during pregnancy.

Antithrombin III activity was measured prospectively in 127 pregnant women within four weeks of delivery, and the results were tabulated with respect to the clinical diagnosis of their hypertensive disorder. Plasma antithrombin III activity was significantly lower than controls in women with preeclampsia and in women with chronic hypertension and superimposed preeclampsia (P less than .001). In contrast, women with chronic hypertension alone had antithrombin III activities similar to controls. Based on discriminant analysis, an antithrombin III activity of less than 70% was selected as indicative of the preeclampsia-eclampsia syndrome. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma antithrombin III for preeclampsia was 76 and 91%, respectively. Importantly, an antithrombin III activity in excess of 70% accurately predicted the absence of preeclampsia in 89% of study patients. Although gestational ages at delivery were similar in preeclamptic women with antithrombin III activity above and below 70%, women with antithrombin III activity above 70% delivered larger infants and experienced less fetal distress during labor. These findings suggest antithrombin III measurement may be useful in the management of hypertensive pregnant patients who are unresponsive to bedrest.

Adult↗

The effect of prothrombin fragment 2 on the inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin III.

The effect of prothrombin fragment 2 on the inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin III has been studied. Fragment 2 was found to slow the rate of inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin III about 3-fold. The effect of prothrombin fragment 2 on antithrombin III inhibition was examined by comparing its action in the presence of either thrombin or meizothrombin (des fragment 1). The second order rate constants for antithrombin III inhibition of thrombin with saturating fragment 2 and antithrombin III inhibition of meizothrombin (des fragment 1) were the same. Prothrombin fragment 2 had no effect on either antithrombin III inhibition of meizothrombin (des fragment 1) or Factor Xa. The effect of the fragment on the reaction mechanism of thrombin inhibition was evaluated to see if the fragment altered binding of antithrombin III to thrombin or inhibited the formation of the covalent complex. The fragment was found to have no inhibitory effect on the rate of covalent complex formation, indicating that the protective effect of the fragment is by inhibiting binding of antithrombin III to thrombin. These data suggest that prothrombin fragment 2 may be an important factor in controlling the localization of clot formation by regulating the interaction between thrombin and antithrombin III.

Animals↗

Binding of high affinity heparin to antithrombin III. Stopped flow kinetic studies of the binding interaction.

The kinetics of high affinity heparin binding to human antithrombin III has been studied by stopped flow fluorimetry, using the 40% antithrombin fluorescence enhancement resulting from this interaction. At mu 0.15, pH 7.4, and 25 degrees C, the observed pseudo-first order rate constant varies hyperbolically with heparin concentration with a limiting rate constant of 440 +/- 90 s-1, demonstrating that heparin binding is a two-step process involving a conformational change in antithrombin III. An identical dependence is produced when antithrombin is varied, consistent with a symmetrical mechanism in which heparin binding induces a conformational change in antithrombin rather than perturbing an equilibrium between two conformational states of the protein. The rate constant for dissociation of the antithrombin-heparin complex is 1.1-1.5 s-1 at mu 0.15, as determined from the ordinate intercept at low heparin concentrations or by dissociation of the antithrombin-heparin complex with iodide. Observation of a single pseudo-first order binding rates over a 400-fold heparin concentration range with no detectable lags is compatible with the initial binding step being in rapid equilibrium with a KD of 4.3 +/- 1.3 X 10(-5) M at mu 0.15. Variation in ionic strength primarily affects the KD for the initial binding step with little effect on the conformational change rate constants, implying that binding involves ionic interactions. Calculation of the overall dissociation equilibrium constant from these rate parameters agrees with the directly determined value of 7.2 +/- 1.9 X 10(-8) M at mu 0.15. A major function of the conformational change is, thus, to increase the affinity of heparin for antithrombin III greater than 300-fold. The implications of these findings for the mechanism of the heparin-catalyzed inhibition of coagulation proteases by antithrombin III are discussed.

Antithrombin III↗

Hereditary antithrombin III deficiency and pregnancy: report of two cases and review of the literature.

The pregnancy and the serum antithrombin III levels during the antenatal and postpartum period of two patients with hereditary antithrombin III deficiency is described. Both antithrombin III antigen and activity levels dropped to their lowest levels immediately after delivery. A review of the literature emphasizes the high risk for thromboembolism in patients with hereditary antithrombin III deficiency. Important considerations for the obstetrician concerning hereditary antithrombin III deficiency are discussed, including: 1) the need to therapeutically anticoagulate these patients postpartum, 2) the need to consider prophylactic anticoagulation throughout pregnancy especially in patients with a history of thrombosis, 3) the practical aspects of assaying antithrombin III in plasma rather than serum, 4) the normally low antithrombin III levels in normal newborns, and 5) the need to provide prepregnancy counseling, including information about the autosomal dominant inheritance of hereditary antithrombin III deficiency.

Adult↗

Factor V Leiden (FV R506Q) in families with inherited antithrombin deficiency.

We investigated the presence of the gene mutation of factor V, FV R506Q or factor V Leiden, responsible for activated protein C resistance, in DNA samples of 127 probands and 188 relatives from 128 families with antithrombin deficiency. The factor V mutation was identified in 18 families. Nine families were available to assess the mode of inheritance and the clinical relevance of combined defects. The factor V and antithrombin genes both map to chromosome 1. Segregation of the defects on opposite chromosomes was observed in three families. Co-segregation with both defects on the same chromosome was demonstrated in four families. In one family a de novo mutation of the antithrombin gene and in another a crossing-over event were the most likely explanations for the observed inheritance patterns. In six families with type I or II antithrombin deficiency (reactive site or pleiotropic effect), 11 of the 12 individuals with both antithrombin deficiency and the factor V mutation developed thrombosis. The median age of their first thrombotic episode was 16 years (range 0-19); this is low compared with a median age of onset of 26 years (range 20-49) in 15 of 30 carriers with only a defect in the antithrombin gene. One of five subjects with only factor V mutation experienced thrombosis at 40 years of age. In three families with type II heparin binding site deficiencies, two of six subjects with combined defects experienced thrombosis; one was homozygous for the heparin binding defect. Our results show that, when thrombosis occurs at a young age in antithrombin deficiency, the factor V mutation is a likely additional risk factor. Co-segregation of mutations in the antithrombin and factor V genes provides a molecular explanation for severe thrombosis in several generations. The findings support that combinations of genetic risk factors underly differences in thrombotic risk in families with thrombophilia.

Adolescent↗

Hepatocyte receptors for antithrombin III-proteinase complexes.

The in vivo clearance of antithrombin III-proteinase complexes occurs via a specific and saturable pathway located on hepatocytes. We now report studies of the catabolism of antithrombin III-proteinase complexes in vitro using rat hepatocytes in primary culture. Antithrombin III-thrombin and trypsin complexes were prepared and purified to homogeneity. Ligand uptake by hepatocytes was concentration, temperature, and time dependent. Initial rate studies were performed to characterize the maximum rate of uptake, V, and apparent Michaelis constant Kapp. These studies yielded a V of 12.8 fmol/mg cell protein/min and a Kapp of 144 nM for antithrombin-trypsin complexes. Competition experiments with antithrombin III, antithrombin III-proteinase complexes, alpha 2-macroglobulin-methylamine, asialoorosomucoid and the neoglycoproteins, fucosyl-bovine serum albumin (BSA), N-acetylglucosaminyl-BSA, and mannosyl-BSA indicated that only antithrombin III-proteinase complexes were recognized by the hepatocyte receptor. Uptake studies were performed at 37 degrees C with 125I-antithrombin III-trypsin and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in conjunction with autoradiography. These studies demonstrate time-dependent uptake and degradation of the ligand to low molecular weight peptides. In addition, there was a time-dependent accumulation of a high molecular weight complex of ligand and a cellular protein. This complex disappeared when gels were performed under reducing conditions.

Animals↗

Evidence for a hyperglycaemia-dependent decrease of antithrombin III-thrombin complex formation in humans.

In the presence of increased levels of fibrinopeptide A, decreased antithrombin III biological activity, and thrombin-antithrombin III complex levels are seen in diabetic patients. Induced-hyperglycaemia in diabetic and normal subjects decreased antithrombin III activity and thrombin-antithrombin III levels, and increased fibrinopeptide A plasma levels, while antithrombin III concentration did not change; heparin was shown to reduced these phenomena. In diabetic patients, euglycaemia induced by insulin infusion restored antithrombin III activity, thrombin-antithrombin III complex and fibrinopeptide A concentrations; heparin administration had the same effects. These data stress the role of a hyperglycaemia-dependent decrease of antithrombin III activity in precipitating thrombin hyperactivity in diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗

Reaction of antithrombin with proteases. Evidence for a specific reaction with papain.

Experiments were performed to determine if the sulfhydryl protease, papain (EC 3.4.22.2), reacts with the plasma protease inhibitor antithrombin (antithrombin III, heparin cofactor) on a specific manner analogous to the reaction of thrombin (EC 3.4.21.5) and other serine proteases with this inhibitor. The esterolytic activity of papain is blocked by the addition of antithrombin, but not by antithrombin-thrombin complex or by protein substrates such as bovine serum albumin. Likewise, in the presence of papain, antithrombin was unable to displace the active site dye proflavine from thrombin, or to inhibit thrombin-catalysed hydrolysis of an anilide substrate. The reaction of antithrombin and papain was not accelerated by low concentrations of heparin. Approximately stoichiometric amounts of heparin completely inhibited the reaction of papain with antithrombin. The mutual inhibition indicates that plasma antithrombin does react with papain but the reaction differs from the interaction with coagulation factors, particularly in the heparin effect.

Antithrombin III↗

Heparin with low affinity to antithrombin III inhibits the activation of prothrombin in normal plasma.

Standard unfractionated heparin is known to have two actions on blood clotting. Unfractionated heparin enhances the rates at which antithrombin III inactivates activated clotting factors, and inhibits the activation of both Factor X and prothrombin by disrupting the calcium and phospholipid dependent assembly of the Factor X and prothrombin activator complexes. This latter inhibitory action of heparin occurs independently of antithrombin III. A heparin fraction with low affinity to antithrombin III was prepared from standard heparin by affinity chromatography on antithrombin-III-Sepharose and its properties compared with unfractionated heparin. The low affinity heparin fraction and the unfractionated heparin had equivalent inhibitory effects on prothrombin activation in antithrombin III depleted plasma. In normal plasma, the low affinity fraction inhibited the activation of prothrombin. Unlike the unfractionated heparin, however, the fraction of heparin with low affinity to antithrombin III did not enhance the inactivation of either Factor Xa or thrombin. This antithrombin III independent inhibition of the activation of prothrombin was also evident when activated platelets were used as the source of the procoagulant phospholipids. The antithrombin III independent effect of heparin is unlikely to be important therapeutically, however, if this property of heparin is shared by other naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans, it could be important in maintaining the fluidity of blood under physiological conditions.

Animals↗

Effect of heparin on the vascular distribution of *I-antithrombin III isoforms in rabbits.

Studies of radioiodinated antithrombin III kinetic behavior in vivo have shown that a pool of this protein partitions into a vascular compartment that could be the result of antithrombin III interaction with heparin-related glycosaminoglycans present on the vessel wall (J. Clin. Invest. 74, 191-191, 1984). As this partitioning was demonstrated by the rapid initial clearance of the labeled antithrombin III, new studies were performed to determine the effect on this clearance of large doses of intravenously administered heparin. In addition, as previous studies had shown unequal clearance rates for tracer-labeled antithrombin III isoforms differing in affinity for heparin, the effect of heparin treatment was assessed for each isoform. Comparison of data from heparin-treated and control animals demonstrated that heparin markedly decreased the clearance rates for each of the *I-labeled antithrombin III isoforms. Heparin also abolished the difference in *I-antithrombin III isoform plasma-clearance rates, and this effect rapidly disappeared after treatment was discontinued. Inhibition by heparin of the initial clearance of *I-labeled ATIII isoforms is the first direct evidence from in vivo studies for the notion that the pool of antithrombin III which is in rapid equilibrium with the plasma pool is, at least in part, the result of the interaction of antithrombin III with vessel wall heparin-related glycosaminoglycans.

Animals↗