Isolation of heparin-derived oligosaccharides containing 2-O-sulfated hexuronic acids, by lipoprotein lipase affinity chromatography.

Oligosaccharides (hexa to dodeca) terminating with [3H]2,5-anhydromannitol (AManR) were isolated from heparin by partial cleavage with nitrous acid at low pH (pH 1.5) followed by gel filtration and reduction with [3H]NaBH4. They were subsequently chromatographed on a lipoprotein lipase (LpL)-Sepharose column. High- and low-affinity oligosaccharides for LpL were isolated and characterized. Disaccharide analysis revealed the presence of (IdceA(2-SO4)-->AManR6-SO4) and (IdceA(2-SO4)-->AManR) as the major disaccharide products after low pH nitrous acid treatment. The oligosaccharides are, therefore, enriched in IdceA(2-SO4)-(GlcNSO4 +/- 6-SO4) sequences. Furthermore, they are found to be composed of 2-O-sulfated hexuronic acid-containing sequences, structural features, characteristic of heparin and heparan sulfate oligosaccharides with potential antiproliferative activities. These oligosaccharides may have the potential as lipase-releasing agents from endothelial and adipocyte surfaces.