Chemical Formula: (C12H19NO19S3)nH2O

Heparin

(C12H19NO19S3)nH2O (5769154.4632218005)

Heparin is a highly acidic heterogeneous mucopolysaccharide consisting of a variably sulfated repeating disaccharide unit. The most common repeating unit is a trisulfated disaccharide composed of a 2-O-sulfated iduronic acid and 6-O-sulfated, N-sulfated glucosamine, IdoA(2S)-GlcNS(6S). Heparin is formed from equal parts sulfated D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid with sulfaminic bridges. The molecular weight ranges from six to twenty thousand. Heparin occurs in and is obtained from liver, lungs, and mast cells of vertebrates. Its function is unknown, but it is used to prevent blood clotting, in vivo and in vitro, in the form of many different salts. Enoxaparin is a low molecular weight heparin. It is used to prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, and is given as a subcutaneous injection. Enoxaparin binds to and accelerates the activity of antithrombin III. By activating antithrombin III, enoxaparin preferentially potentiates the inhibition of coagulation factors Xa and IIa. Factor Xa catalyzes the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin, so enoxaparins inhibition of this process results in decreased thrombin and ultimately the prevention of fibrin clot formation. Low molecular weight heparins are less effective at inactivating factor IIa due to their shorter length compared to unfractionated heparin. A highly acidic mucopolysaccharide formed of equal parts of sulfated D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid with sulfaminic bridges. The molecular weight ranges from six to twenty thousand. Heparin occurs in and is obtained from liver, lung, mast cells, etc., of vertebrates. Its function is unknown, but it is used to prevent blood clotting in vivo and vitro, in the form of many different salts. [HMDB]