Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Vascul Pharmacol. 2018 Jan;100:26-33. doi: 10.1016/j.vph.2017.09.002. Epub 2017 Sep 12.
In the vascular system, the endothelial surface layer (ESL) as the inner surface of blood vessels affects mechanotransduction, vascular permeability, rheology, thrombogenesis, and leukocyte adhesion. It creates barriers between endothelial cells and blood and neighbouring cells. The glycocalyx, composed of glycoconjugates and proteoglycans, is an integral component of the ESL and a key element in inter- and intracellular communication and tissue homeostasis. In pathophysiological conditions (atherosclerosis, infection, ischemia/reperfusion injury, diabetes, trauma and acute lung injury) glycocalyx-degrading factors, i.e. reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, matrix metalloproteinases, heparanase and sialidases, damage the ESL, thereby impairing endothelial functions. This leads to increased capillary permeability, leucocyte-endothelium interactions, thrombosis and vascular inflammation, the latter further driving glycocalyx destruction. The present review highlights current knowledge on the vasculoprotective role of the ESL, with specific emphasis on its remodelling in inflammatory vascular diseases and discusses its potential as a novel therapeutic target to treat vascular pathologies.
在脉管系统中，作为血管内表面的内皮表面层（ESL）会影响力学转导、血管通透性、流变学、血栓形成和白细胞黏附。它在血管内皮细胞和血液以及相邻细胞之间形成屏障。糖萼由糖缀合物和蛋白聚糖组成，是 ESL 的一个组成部分，也是细胞间和细胞内通讯以及组织稳态的关键因素。在病理生理条件下（动脉粥样硬化、感染、缺血/再灌注损伤、糖尿病、创伤和急性肺损伤），糖萼降解因子，即活性氧和氮物种、基质金属蛋白酶、透明质酸酶和唾液酸酶，会破坏 ESL，从而损害内皮功能。这会导致毛细血管通透性增加、白细胞-内皮细胞相互作用、血栓形成和血管炎症，后者进一步导致糖萼破坏。本篇综述强调了 ESL 的血管保护作用的现有知识，特别强调了其在炎症性血管疾病中的重塑，并讨论了其作为治疗血管病变的新治疗靶点的潜力。
