Importance of a 3-O-sulfate group in a heparin pentasaccharide for antithrombotic activity.

Previous theoretical and experimental evidence led to the formulation of a specific pentasaccharide structure which represents the site in heparin for binding to antithrombin III. This pentasaccharide was subsequently synthesized. A pentasaccharide of the same structure but lacking only the sulfate group on the hydroxyl group of the middle glucosamine (position C-3) was also synthesized to test the structure - activity relationships. Previous biochemical studies showed the 3-O-desulfated pentasaccharide to have a low affinity binding to AT III and to be devoid of the high anti-factor Xa activity characteristic of the pentasaccharide. Our in vivo studies, in a venous stasis thrombosis model proved the 3-O-desulfated pentasaccharide, at equigravimetric dosages, to be devoid of the antithrombotic activity previously reported for the pentasaccharide. These studies confirm the fact that inhibition of factor Xa at a high level of activity produces an antithrombotic effect.