Heparin mechanism of action
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Mechanism of action
- Heparin is an indirect thrombin inhibitor.
- It forms a complexes with antithrombin / AT III (predominantly) and other factors like factor Xa, factors XIIa, XIa, and IXa, that results in a conformational change in AT, converting antithrombin from a slow to a rapid inactivator of thrombin
- Antithrombin has two active sites:
- Reactive center, Arg393-Ser394
- Heparin binding sites