Central components of the therapeutic actions of pentosan polysulfate sodium are due to its early development antithrombotic and antilipemic effects. Further properties have been demonstrated in studies demonstrating anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic effects, antihistamine activity, and inhibition of elastase.

The challenging multifaceted biological effects of pentosan polysulfate, as shown by the various research programmes, are made more comprehensible when the interactions with heparan sulphate chains attached to the protein core of proteoglycans receptors on the cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix (2) are considered.

These glycosaminoglycans are known to be ubiquitous at human cell surfaces. They are generally more abundant than most receptors (1).

Findings support the hypothesis that pentosan polysulfate sodium offers a similar capacity to block the binding of important biological molecules and that it possesses an impressive array of actions, for example preventing:- angiogenesis, coagulation/ fibrinolysis, growth factors/ morphogens, inflammation, or lipid metabolism.

References

1) Bernfield, M., et al., Functions of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Annu Rev Biochem, 1999. 68: p. 729-77.
2) Vlodavsky, I. and Y. Friedmann, Molecular properties and involvement of heparanase in cancer metastasis and angiogenesis. J Clin Invest, 2001. 108(3): p. 341-7.