The disappearance of a low molecular weight heparin fraction (cy 216) differs from standard heparin in rabbits

In previous studies, we have reported that standard heparin (SH) was cleared by two mechanisms, a saturable mechanism which predominated at low doses (less than 100 anti-factor Xa U/kg) and a non-saturable mechanism which predominated at higher doses, when the first mechanism became saturated. In this study, we examined the importance of these two mechanisms in the disappearance of a low molecular weight heparin fraction (LMWH) (CY 216), by comparing the pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of a wide range of doses of SH and CY 216 (1.5 to 500 anti-factor Xa U/kg). Pharmacokinetics was measured as the disappearance of 125I-radiolabelled SH or CY 216. Pharmacodynamics was measured as the disappearance of the anti-factor Xa activity of SH and CY 216. We found that the saturable mechanism contributed little to the disappearance of CY 216 and that it was cleared predominantly by the non-saturable mechanism at all doses tested. Thus, at low doses (less than 100 anti-factor Xa U/kg), SH was cleared more rapidly than CY 216, whereas at higher doses, CY 216 was cleared more rapidly than SH. We conclude that the mechanism of disappearance of LMWH's differ significantly from those of SH, and that this difference may explain the apparent prolonged anticoagulant activity of LMWH's within the therapeutic range doses.