Medical Uses
When mixed with insulin, protamines slow down the onset and increase the duration of insulin action (see NPH insulin).
Protamine is used in cardiopulmonary bypass surgery to neutralize the anti-clotting effects of heparin as well as to increase pulmonary artery pressure and decrease peripheral blood pressure, myocardial oxygen consumption, cardiac output, and heart rate.
Protamine sulfate is an antidote for heparin overdose. A chain shortened version of protamine also acts as a potent heparin antagonist, but with markedly reduced antigenicity.
In gene therapy, protamine sulfate's ability to condense plasmid DNA along with its approval by the FDA have made it an appealing candidate to increase transduction rates by both viral and nonviral (e.g. utilizing cationic lipids) mediated delivery mechanisms.
Read more about this topic: Protamine
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