Heparin (Hep)2 is the most anionic proteoglycan, due to the extensive sulfation of its glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains, and contains many different sulfated disaccharide isomers of N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid or iduronic acid. Hep binds to many different soluble, matrix, and cell surface proteins and receptors, and has many functions, including its roles as an anti-coagulant and as a co-receptor for some growth factors (1, 2). Hep is a highly prescribed drug in surgical patients and those at risk for thromobosis. The genes and metabolic pathway for Hep biosynthesis in mast cells are understood reasonably well, and many of the biological and clinical activities of Hep have been well studied for several decades (3-6). In contrast, we know less about the catabolism of Hep and how total body homeostasis of this multifunctional proteoglycan is maintained. In particular, the mechanisms controlling systemic turnover of Hep, whether as endogenous proteoglycan or free chain drugs, are not known.Although receptors for Hep have been characterized on a variety of cell types (e.g. macrophages, vascular smooth muscle cells), none of these mediate substantial clearance of Hep (7-9). A few reports implicated a role for Kupffer cells in Hep clearance, but were not followed up (10, 11). The possible contribution of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells to Hep uptake in these primary cell preparations was not examined. Because Hep is a widely prescribed drug, it is even more important to understand the factors that control its clearance and, therefore, pharmokinetics. Animal studies of Hep clearance, except by renal function, have been difficult to perform, because Hep binds to so many soluble, cell surface or matrix proteins and become widely distributed after injection.Unfractioned Hep (3000 -30000 Da), low molecular mass Hep (300 -8000 Da), and the pentasaccharide, Fondaparinux, are the three classes of Hep drugs used to treat venous thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction, trauma, obesity, and coronary and peripheral vascular procedures; all situations wherein patients need immediate platelet anti-coagulation therapy (12). Following an intravenous bolus, unfractioned Hep has a halflife of ϳ1 h and is cleared from the circulation by the liver and kidney (13). Low molecular mass Hep and the pentasaccharide, subcutaneously injected, have half-lives of ϳ3-6 and ϳ17 h, respectively (14). Larger more structurally diverse Hep is more readily cleared than the lower molecular weight fragments. Although clinical handbooks declare that Hep is metabolized and cleared by the reticuloendothelial system, the mechanisms for Hep clearance are not known.The primary scavenger receptor for systemic turnover of HA and most types of chondroitin sulfate, but not HS, is HARE/ Stab-2, which mediates most of the total body HA turnover per day (15)(16)(17). HARE is found primarily in the sinusoidal endothelial cells of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen (18 -21), and * This work was supported, in whole or in part, by National Institutes of Hea...