Antihemostatic activity of heparin disaccharides and oligosaccharides obtained by chemical and enzymatic fragmentation: reversal of the hemorrhagic activity by ATP and myosin.

Heparin and its fragments, namely, trisulfated disaccharide, pentasulfated tetrasaccharide, octasulfated hexasaccharide and an oligosaccharide (M.W. 6,300) prepared by enzymatic fragmentation and an oligosaccharide (M.W. 4,500) prepared by chemical fragmentation are potent inhibitors of skin hemostasis when applied topically. All the heparin fragments tested are 10 to 20 times more active than heparin itself on a weight basis in disrupting the normal hemostatic mechanism. As heparin, the fragments produce a residual antihemostatic effect which persists after extensive washing of the preparation with isotonic solutions. This residual effect could be removed either by ATP or myosin ATPase.