Isolation and Characterisation of Endothelial Cell Surface Heparan Sulphate from Whole Bovine Lung for Coating of Biomaterials to Improve Haemocompatibility

Heparan-sulphate was isolated for the first time as a byproduct of commercial heparin isolation in 1948 and described as a low sulphated heparin by Jorpes and Gardell. During early stage some researchers thought heparan-sulphate to represent a new class of glycosaminoglycans. Others supposed it to be an intermediate of the heparin-biosynthesis. In contrast to heparin, which is found in the granules of mastocytes, heparan-sulphate occurs ubiquitous on cell surfaces . This fact clarifies former distinguishing problems among the two glycosaminoglycans who nowadays represent the so called type 2 class of GAGs. Heparin as well as heparan sulphate obtain the same backbone structure which is composed from an alternating copolymer of uronic acid and glucosamine. Apart from the different occurrence in mammalians the type 2 GAGs also differ significantly e.g. according to their degree of sulphation, acetylation and especially according their structural heterogeneity which is exposed in the distinct domain structure of the heparan sulphates. The first researcher who described heparane sulphate localized on the luminal surface of endothelial