[RASMB] heparin vbar

[brass at uconnvm.uconn.edu]

Folks, Commercial heparins should have a label on the vial marked 
"Warning, dangerous for one's career!"  It is assuredly very heterogenous 
and the vbar varys strongly with source 0.38-0.46 ml/g (pork mucosa-beef 
lung etc). Braswell, E., BBA 158:103 (1968).   
Though vbar for a highly active anticoagulant fraction was found to be 
0.48.  Jordon, R.E., JBC 257: 400 (1982).
It also varied strongly with the counterion 0.38 (Na), 0.35(Ca), and 0.32 
(Cs). Braswell, E., Biophys. J.  51: 273 (1987).  
All of the above were determined with solutions that were in dialysis 
equilibrium with 1 M Cation-Cl. 
There are many other, similar, values in the literature--Unfortunately, the 
best thing is to measure it for whatever sample or fraction you have under 
the conditions you plan to study it.  I do not think there is a value which 
you can trust to use additively in a complex.  Because it is such a highly 
charged material Eisenberg's warnings must be taken seriously, and 
therefore delta rho/delta C is preferred.   Emory