Effect of heparin and heparin fractions on experimental abscess formation

R. A. Prinz, Z. Shuber, J. Fareed, T. Bird and L. Sandberg

To evaluate the effectiveness of heparin and heparin fractions in decreasing abscess formation, rats were divided into six groups. A fibrin clot containing 10(9) live Escherichia coli was placed in the peritoneal cavity of each rat. Group 1 (controls) received daily subcutaneous (SQ) injections of 0.1 mL of saline solution. Group 2 received daily intramuscular injections of gentamicin, 12.5 mg/kg. Group 3 received a daily SQ dose of 30 U of porcine heparin. In addition to gentamicin, group 4 received heparin, group 5 received heparin fraction PK10169, and group 6 received heparin fraction CY216, all in daily SQ doses of 30 U. Survivors were killed at ten days and examined for intra-abdominal abscesses. All group 1 animals developed abscesses. Abscess formation was significantly decreased in all groups receiving gentamicin. When used with gentamicin, neither heparin nor heparin fractions decreased the number of abscesses formed when compared with gentamicin alone. Heparin or heparin fractions in combination with gentamicin did decrease abscess size significantly when compared with controls.