Molecular dynamics simulation of a decasaccharide fragment of heparin in aqueous solution

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on heparin-water-sodium systems were carried out in order to establish a simulation protocol able to represent heparin solution conformation under physiological conditions. Atomic charges suitable for heparin oligosaccharides were obtained from ab initio quantum-mechanical computations, at the 6-31G** level. The GROMACS forcefield, the SPC, and SPC/E water models were employed. Also heparin was simulated with IdoA residues in C-1(4) or S-2(0) conformational states. The results of the performed MD simulations are in agreement with the available experimental data, suggesting that this approach can be applied for the study of heparin interactions with its target proteins and thus play a role in the development of new antithrombotic agents. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.