Heparin coinfusion during convection-enhanced delivery (CED) increases the distribution of the glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) ligand family in rat striatum and enhances the pharmacological activity of neurturin.

Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) distributes macromolecules in the brain in a homogeneous, targeted fashion in clinically useful volumes. However, the binding of growth factors to heparin-binding sites in the extracellular matrix may limit the volume of distribution (V(d)). To overcome this limitation, we examined the effects of heparin coinfusion on V(d) of glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurturin (NTN), artemin, and a nonspecifically bound protein, albumin. Heparin coinfusion significantly enhanced the V(d) of GDNF and GDNF-homologous trophic factors, probably by binding and blocking heparin-binding sites in the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, coinfusion of heparin with NTN enhanced striatal dopamine metabolism, compared to trophic factor administered alone. The negligible benefit of GDNF in recent clinical trials of Parkinson's disease may result from limited tissue distribution. Heparin coinfusion during CED targeting the striatum may alleviate this important limitation. This study demonstrates the influence of receptor binding on the distribution of trophic factors in the CNS.