Endothelial Glycocalyx

The glycocalyx is a polysaccharide structure that protrudes from the body of a cell. It is primarily conformed of glycoproteins and proteoglycans, which provide communication, electrostatic charge, ionic buffering, permeability, and mechanosensation-mechanotransduction capabilities to cells. In blood vessels, the endothelial glycocalyx that projects into the vascular lumen separates the vascular wall from the circulating blood. Such a physical location allows a number of its components, including sialic acid, glypican-1, heparan sulfate, and hyaluronan, to participate in the mechanosensation-mechanotransduction of blood flow-dependent shear stress, which results in the synthesis of nitric oxide and flow-mediated vasodilation. The endothelial glycocalyx also participates in the regulation of vascular permeability and the modulation of inflammatory responses, including the processes of leukocyte rolling and extravasation. Its structural architecture and negative charge work to prevent macromolecules greater than approximately 70 kDa and cationic molecules from binding and flowing out of the vasculature. This also prevents the extravasation of pathogens such as bacteria and virus, as well as that of tumor cells. Due to its constant exposure to shear and circulating enzymes such as neuraminidase, heparanase, hyaluronidase, and matrix metalloproteinases, the endothelial glycocalyx is in a continuous process of degradation and renovation. A balance favoring degradation is associated with a variety of pathologies including atherosclerosis, hypertension, vascular aging, metastatic cancer, and diabetic vasculopathies. Consequently, ongoing research efforts are focused on deciphering the mechanisms that promote glycocalyx degradation or limit its syntheses, as well as on therapeutic approaches to improve glycocalyx integrity with the goal of reducing vascular disease. © 2022 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 12: 1-31, 2022.