Danaparoid: an antithrombotic agent without major impact on triglyceride hydrolysis capacity in humans

OBJECTIVES: Heparin is a widely used antithrombotic drug. Besides its anticoagulant properties, it also has a marked influence on lipid metabolism, by decreasing serum lipolytic activity due to lipase depletion from vascular sites and stores. Especially in haemodialysis patients who receive heparin during every dialysis session, and in hypertriglyceridaemic patients, decreasing lipolytic activity can lead to the accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, which are atherogenic. Replacement of heparin by an antithrombotic drug with less lipase releasing activity might reduce this risk.

DESIGN: We tested danaparoid, a new antithrombotic drug, and compared its ability to displace biotinylated heparan sulphate from lipoprotein lipase in vitro with heparin. Furthermore we compared the in vivo lipase releasing activity.

RESULTS: Danaparoid displaced significantly less biotinylated heparan sulphate from triglyceride-rich lipoprotein-lipoprotein lipase complexes in vitro than heparin. Intravenous injection of danaparoid released less than 20% (P < 0.05) of the lipolytic activity released by an equivalent anticoagulant dose of heparin.

CONCLUSION: Danaparoid is the drug of choice during the antithrombotic therapy of hypertriglyceridaemic or haemodialysis patients.