Blood lipids and human atherosclerosis. II. The influence of heparin upon lipoprotein metabolism

Heparin administered to humans and rabbits causes profound reorientation in the distribution of low density lipoproteins, characterized by a shift of lipoproteins of high S f rates to those of successively lower S f rates. The observations appear to indicate that this agent has actually caused a transformation of the former group into the latter. Heparin administered to the rabbit prevents the usual buildup of high concentration of the S f 10-50 lipoproteins during cholesterol feeding and retards the development of atherosclerosis. In man, accompanying the redistribution of lipoproteins, there was observed a marked reduction in angina pectoris in 55 of 59 patients studied who presented this symptom. The relation between the heparin effect upon lipoproteins and its effect upon angina cannot be assessed at present.