Heparin platelet-derived growth factor

The physiological function of heparin is not completely understood. It is found only in trace amounts in normal circulating blood. It exerts an antihpemic effect by releasing lipoprotein lipase from endothehal cells heparinlike proteoglycans produced by endothelial cells have anticoagulant activity. Heparin decreases platelet and inflammatory cell adhesiveness to endothelial cells, reduces the release of platelet-derived growth factor, inhibits tumor cell metastasis, and exerts an antiproliferative effect on several types of smooth muscle. 

E. Feyzi, F. Lustig, G. Fager, D. Spillmann, U. Lindahl, M. Salmivirta, Characterization of heparin and heparan sulfate domains binding to the long splice variant of platelet-derived growth factor A chain. J. Biol Chem. 1997 272, 5518-24. 

Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECCF), an endothelial cell mitogen (482 aa Mr 49 kDa pi = 4.0-4.8) initially isolated from human platelets that does not stimulate the proliferation of fibroblasts and does not bind to heparin. PD-ECGF is involved in angiogenesis. It is the most important mitogen for endothelial cells, and exerts chemotactic action on these cells [K. Miyazano et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1987, 262, 4098 K. Usuki et al.. Cell Regulation 1990, 1, 577]. 

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