Incorporation of Heparin in Mammalian Cell Cultures

Abstract

Summary

The incorporation and fate of heparin in L, LE, Hela, and mouse embryo tissue culture cells was studied. The results were as follows: (a) heparin at the concentrations used had a stimulatory effect of about 15% in the cell growth; (b) incorporation of heparin in L, LE, and Hela cells was in the order of 1 μg of heparin/million cells and in the mouse embryo cells in the order of 12–20 μg/million cells; (c) analysis by chromatography and electrophoresis of radioactive material incorporated or released after incubation with heparin of the four cell lines revealed that no degradation of the compound occurred; (d) microscopic observations indicated that heparin is deposited in the cells in the form of granules; (e) the incorporation of heparin by the cells was increased by puromycin and actinomycin and was not affected by mitomycin. A possible mechanism by which heparin penetrates and is excreted by the cells is discussed.