Oligosaccharide Chromatographic Techniques for Quantitation of Structural Process-Related Impurities in Heparin Resulting From 2-O Desulfation

Heparin is a widely-used intravenous anticoagulant comprising a complex mixture of highly-sulfated linear polysaccharides of repeating sequences of uronic acids (either iduronic or glucuronic) 1->4 linked to D-glucosamine with specific sulfation patterns. Preparation of crude heparin from mammalian mucosa involves protease digestion with alcalase under basic conditions (pH ≥ 9) and high temperature (>50°C) and also oxidation. Under such conditions, side reactions including the ubiquitous 2-O desulfation occur on the heparin backbone yielding non-endogenous disaccharides within polysaccharide chains. Whatever the process used for its manufacture, some level of corresponding degradation impurities is therefore expected to be found in heparin and the derived Low Molecular Weight Heparins. These impurities should be monitored to control the quality of the final therapeutic product. Two anion exchange chromatography techniques were used to analyze heparin samples exhaustively or partially depolymerized with heparinases and determine the proportions of non-endogenous disaccharides generated by side reactions during the manufacturing process (epoxides and galacturonic moieties). We also present data from a case study of marketed heparin. Current heparin sodium monographs do not directly address process impurities related to modification of the structure of heparin. Although desulfation reduces the overall biological potency, we found that heparin with an average of one modified disaccharide per chain can still comply with the USP or Ph. Eur. heparin sodium monographs requirements. We have implemented disaccharide analysis to monitor the quality of this product on a risk basis

Quantitative compositional analysis of heparin using exhaustive heparinase digestion and strong anion exchange chromatography

Heparin is a linear sulfated polysaccharide widely used therapeutically as an anticoagulant. It is also the starting material for manufacturing low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH). Quality control of heparin and LMWH is critical to ensure the safety and therapeutic activity of the final product. However due to their complex and heterogeneous structure, orthogonal analytical techniques are needed to characterize the building blocks of heparin. One of the state-of-the-art methods for heparin analysis is based on complete enzymatic digestion using a mixture of heparinases I, II, and III, followed by the separation of the resulting oligosaccharides by liquid chromatography. The European Pharmacopoeia strong anion-exchange chromatographic method, used to quantify 1,6-anhydro derivatives in enoxaparin, is here applied to the analysis of the heparin building blocks. Their quantification, namely the determination of their average w/w percentage in the heparin chain, is obtained after identification of all components including glycoserine derivatives and 3-O sulfated di- and tetrasaccharides. This work therefore provides a comprehensive overview of the building blocks of unfractionated heparin, including those chemically modified by the manufacturing process, either within the polysaccharide chain or at its reducing end

New Insights in Thrombin Inhibition Structure–Activity Relationships by Characterization of Octadecasaccharides from Low Molecular Weight Heparin

Low Molecular Weight Heparins (LMWH) are complex anticoagulant drugs that mainly inhibit the blood coagulation cascade through indirect interaction with antithrombin. While inhibition of the factor Xa is well described, little is known about the polysaccharide structure inhibiting thrombin. In fact, a minimal chain length of 18 saccharides units, including an antithrombin (AT) binding pentasaccharide, is mandatory to form the active ternary complex for LMWH obtained by alkaline β-elimination (e.g., enoxaparin). However, the relationship between structure of octadecasaccharides and their thrombin inhibition has not been yet assessed on natural compounds due to technical hurdles to isolate sufficiently pure material. We report the preparation of five octadecasaccharides by using orthogonal separation methods including size exclusion, AT affinity, ion pairing and strong anion exchange chromatography. Each of these octadecasaccharides possesses two AT binding pentasaccharide sequences located at various positions. After structural elucidation using enzymatic sequencing and NMR, in vitro aFXa and aFIIa were determined. The biological activities reveal the critical role of each pentasaccharide sequence position within the octadecasaccharides and structural requirements to inhibit thrombin. Significant differences in potency, such as the twenty-fold magnitude difference observed between two regioisomers, further highlights the importance of depolymerisation process conditions on LMWH biological activity

Evaluation par résonnance plasmonique de surface et par le test de libération de sérotonine radiomarquée de la fixation d'anticorps héparine-dépendants au facteur plaquettaire 4 modifié par des oligosaccharides isolés de l'énoxaparine

National audienc

Ultra-low-molecular-weight heparins: Precise structural features impacting specific anticoagulant activities

Ultra-low-molecular-weight heparins (ULMWHs) with better efficacy and safety ratios are under development; however, there are few structural data available. the main structural features and molecular weight of ULMWHs were studied and compared to enoxaparin. Their monosaccharide composition and average molecular weights were determined and preparations studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning ultraviolet spectroscopy, circular dichroism and gel permeation chromatography. in general, ULMWHs presented higher 3-O-sulphated glucosamine and unsaturated uronic acid residues, the latter being comparable with their higher degree of depolymerisation. the analysis showed that ULMWHs are structurally related to LMWHs; however, their monosaccharide/oligosaccharide compositions and average molecular weights differed considerably explaining their different anticoagulant activities. the results relate structural features to activity, assisting the development of new and improved therapeutic agents, based on depolymerised heparin, for the prophylaxis and treatment of thrombotic disorders.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Bioquim, Disciplina Biol Mol, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Liverpool, Inst Integrat Biol, Liverpool L69 3BX, Merseyside, EnglandSanofi Rech, Vitry Sur Seine, FranceLoyola Univ, Med Ctr, Dept Pathol, Maywood, IL 60153 USAUniv Fed Parana, Dept Bioquim & Biol Mol, Lab Quim Carboidratos, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Bioquim, Disciplina Biol Mol, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

J Biol Chem

The antithrombin (AT) binding properties of heparin and low molecular weight heparins are strongly associated to the presence of the pentasaccharide sequence AGA*IA (ANAc,6S-GlcUA-ANS,3,6S-I2S-ANS,6S). By using the highly chemoselective depolymerization to prepare new ultra low molecular weight heparin and coupling it with the original separation techniques, it was possible to isolate a polysaccharide with a biosynthetically unexpected structure and excellent antithrombotic properties. It consisted of a dodecasaccharide containing an unsaturated uronate unit at the nonreducing end and two contiguous AT-binding sequences separated by a nonsulfated iduronate residue. This novel oligosaccharide was characterized by NMR spectroscopy, and its binding with AT was determined by fluorescence titration, NMR, and LC-MS. The dodecasaccharide displayed a significantly increased anti-FXa activity compared with those of the pentasaccharide, fondaparinux, and low molecular weight heparin enoxaparin