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Glycocalyx modulates the motility and proliferative response of vascular endothelium to fluid shear stress
- Source :
- American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology. 293(2)
- Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- Flow-induced mechanotransduction in vascular endothelial cells has been studied over the years with a major focus on putative connections between disturbed flow and atherosclerosis. Recent studies have brought in a new perspective that the glycocalyx, a structure decorating the luminal surface of vascular endothelium, may play an important role in the mechanotransduction. This study reports that modifying the amount of the glycocalyx affects both short-term and long-term shear responses significantly. It is well established that after 24 h of laminar flow, endothelial cells align in the direction of flow and their proliferation is suppressed. We report here that by removing the glycocalyx by using the specific enzyme heparinase III, endothelial cells no longer align under flow after 24 h and they proliferate as if there were no flow present. In addition, confluent endothelial cells respond rapidly to flow by decreasing their migration speed by 40% and increasing the amount of vascular endothelial cadherin in the cell-cell junctions. These responses are not observed in the cells treated with heparinase III. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (a major component of the glycocalyx) redistribute after 24 h of flow application from a uniform surface profile to a distinct peripheral pattern with most molecules detected above cell-cell junctions. We conclude that the presence of the glycocalyx is necessary for the endothelial cells to respond to fluid shear, and the glycocalyx itself is modulated by the flow. The redistribution of the glycocalyx also appears to serve as a cell-adaptive mechanism by reducing the shear gradients that the cell surface experiences.
- Subjects :
- Time Factors
Endothelium
Physiology
Motility
Biology
Glycocalyx
Cell junction
Mechanotransduction, Cellular
Antigens, CD
Cell Movement
Physiology (medical)
medicine
Animals
Humans
Mechanotransduction
Cells, Cultured
Cell Proliferation
Polysaccharide-Lyases
Cell growth
Cadherin
Endothelial Cells
Cadherins
Cell biology
Protein Transport
medicine.anatomical_structure
Intercellular Junctions
Immunology
Hemorheology
Cattle
Endothelium, Vascular
Stress, Mechanical
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 03636135
- Volume :
- 293
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....df49fb8fb3e3fd66dc4cdb674f607197