The endothelial glycocalyx protects against myocardial edema.
Myocardial tissue edema attributable to increased microvascular fluid loss contributes to cardiac dysfunction after myocardial ischemia, cardiopulmonary bypass, hypertension, and sepsis. Recent studies suggest that carbohydrate structures on the luminal surface of microvascular endothelium are essential to prevent tissue edema. We carefully preserved these structures for visualization with electron microscopy, revealing that the rat myocardial capillary endothelial surface is coated with a 0.2- to 0.5-microm-thick carbohydrate layer and that its degradation instantly results in notable myocardial tissue edema.
van den Berg
Bernard M
BM
Department of Medical Physics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Vink
Hans
H
Spaan
Jos A E
JA
D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004489:Edema, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019276:Glycocalyx / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D006820:Hyaluronic Acid