Sugar-Amine Interactions in the Blood Clotting System and their Effects on Haemostasis

Abstract

N-Glycosides and l-Desoxy-l-amino-2-keto-sugar derivatives (Amadori compounds) are formed from reducing sugars and amino groups of amino acids, proteins or simple amines in the first step of the Maillard reaction leading to the non enzymic browning of foodstuffs. Very little if any attention has been devoted to this reaction in the blood clotting system. Two examples are given to illustrate the possible role of this reaction in haemostasis.Poly-L-lysine, often considered as a model for collagen, reacts easily with D-glucose or D-galactose to form Amadori compounds with the ε-amino group of poly-L-lysine (mol. w. from 2,000 to 30,000). As a consequence, poly-L-lysine looses its ability to aggregate platelets. Serotonin reacts with D-glucose to form a stable and strongly reducing Amadori type compound. No change in the platelet aggregating ability of this compound has been observed, but other biological properties of the amine are highly affected.