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(Circulation Research. 2008;102:747.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorials

Dragging Along

The Glycocalyx and Vascular Endothelial Cell Mechanotransduction

Abdul I. Barakat

From the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California, Davis.

Correspondence to Abdul I. Barakat, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616. E-mail abarakat@ucdavis.edu

See related article, pages 770–776

Key Words: mechanotransduction • glycocalyx

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

The glycocalyx is a complex and highly dynamic polymeric meshwork that coats the surfaces of most cells and consists of proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and glycoproteins, as well as adherent plasma proteins.^1,2 In the microvasculature, the glycocalyx layer on the endothelial cell surface plays a critical role in regulating vessel permeability, modulating the dynamics of near-wall movement of red blood cells, and coordinating interactions between leukocytes and the vascular wall during inflammation. In large-vessel endothelium, perturbation of the glycocalyx appears to be associated with vascular damage, as well as increased vulnerability to the development of atherosclerosis.^3–5 A number of studies have demonstrated that the presence of an intact glycocalyx is essential for endothelial cell sensitivity and responsiveness to fluid mechanical stimulation, thereby supporting the idea of a central role for the glycocalyx in endothelial cell flow-mediated mechanotransduction.^6–12

In this issue of Circulation Research, Potter and Damiano¹³ use fluorescent microparticle image velocimetry (µ-PIV) to demonstrate that the hydrodynamically relevant endothelial cell glycocalyx surface layer observed in vivo in mouse cremaster muscle venules is absent from the surfaces of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) grown in circular collagen microchannels and maintained in vitro under standard cell culture conditions. The µ-PIV technique allows the measurement of the velocity profile of fluid flow within the venule or microchannel. A linear regression analysis of the near-wall velocity is performed, and the resulting fit is extrapolated to the venule or microchannel wall. If this extrapolation leads to a negative . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Article:

The Hydrodynamically Relevant Endothelial Cell Glycocalyx Observed In Vivo Is Absent In Vitro

Daniel R. Potter and Edward R. Damiano
Circ. Res. 2008 102: 770-776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Chappell, M. Jacob, O. Paul, M. Rehm, U. Welsch, M. Stoeckelhuber, P. Conzen, and B. F. Becker The Glycocalyx of the Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cell: An Impressive Structure Ex Vivo but Not in Culture Circ. Res., June 5, 2009; 104(11): 1313 - 1317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R. Potter, J. Jiang, and E. R. Damiano The Recovery Time Course of the Endothelial Cell Glycocalyx In Vivo and Its Implications In Vitro Circ. Res., June 5, 2009; 104(11): 1318 - 1325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]