A Method for following Lipolysis induced by Heparin

Abstract

THE heparin clearing effect on postprandial lipæmic turbidity of blood serum has been demonstrated by Hahn¹. Recently, it has been shown that heparin clearing is accompanied by the formation of a new electrophoretic component² and by an increase in free fatty acid³. That this process is of an enzymatic nature is now beyond doubt⁴. Since higher fatty acids are known to cause a depression of the second part of the polarographic protein double wave of albumin^5,6, the effect of heparin clearing on the polarographic behaviour of human blood serum was investigated because it has been shown that the polarographic effect of higher fatty acids on human blood serum can be accounted for only by the interaction of serum albumin with the fatty acids⁶. It was found that the intravenous administration of 0.5 ml. of 5 per cent heparin to six postprandial lipæmic humans as well as to six fasting subjects causes a marked depression of the second part of the polarographic protein double wave. Tables 1, 2 and 3 give the heights of the second wave in one individual which is representative of the entire group. In all cases the results were qualitatively identical.