Physiological significance of heparin

The difficulty in obtaining satisfactory evidence may be due to the fact that thrombosis is a local circulatory problem which will require release of heparin locally for control. Such amounts will not be apparent in gross biochemical tests either as an increase in plasma concentration or a decrease in concentration in tissue. It is probable that heparin will be like other auto-pharmacological agents (e.g. adrenalin, steroids, insulin) in that the amount of heparin in the general circulation at any one time is only a secondary reflection of secretion levels. More important is the determination of rate of urinary excretion of metabolites and still more important the determination of rate of secretion by the glandular tissue (mast cells) itself. 

The personal researches described have been made possible by Research Grants from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service (Grant Number HE-06117) and the Medical Research Council of Canada (Grant CG-24). 

The author is indebted to Miss Sylvia Hoffer of the Pharmaey Department, University Hospital, Saskatoon for collecting the data on Uses of Heparin as an Anticoagulant (p. 164). 

Bayliss Principles of General Physiology 2nd Ed. Longmans, Green, London, 1918 

Jaques Anticoagulant Therapy Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1965 

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