Ninham Barry W, Bunkin Nikolai, Battye Matthew
Materials Physics (formerly Department of Applied Mathematics), Research School of Physics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
Department of Fundamental Sciences, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, 2nd Baumanskaya Str. 5, 105005 Moscow, Russia.
Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2025 Apr;338:103401. doi: 10.1016/j.cis.2025.103401. Epub 2025 Jan 17.
The glycocalyx and its associated endothelial surface layer which lines all cell membranes and most tissues, dwarfs the phospholipid membrane of cells in extent. Its major components are sulphated polymers like heparan and chondroitin sulphates and hyaluronic acid. These form a fuzzy layer of unknown structure and function. It has become increasingly clear that the ESL-GC complex must play many roles. We postulate it has a self-organised infrastructure that directs cell traffic, acts in defence against pathogens and other cells, and in diseases like diabetes, and heart disease, besides being a playground for a host of biochemical activity. Based on an analogous sulphated polymeric system Nafion, the fuel cell polymer, we suggest a model for the structure of the ESL-GC complex and how it functions. Taken together with parallel developments in physical chemistry, in nanobubbles, their stability in physiological media, and reactivity, we believe the model may throw light on a variety of phenomena, diabetes and some other diseases.
糖萼及其相关的内皮表面层覆盖所有细胞膜和大多数组织，其范围比细胞的磷脂膜大得多。其主要成分是硫酸化聚合物，如硫酸乙酰肝素、硫酸软骨素和透明质酸。这些形成了一层结构和功能未知的模糊层。越来越清楚的是，内皮表面层-糖萼复合物必定发挥多种作用。我们推测它具有一个自我组织的基础设施，可指导细胞运输，抵御病原体和其他细胞，在糖尿病和心脏病等疾病中发挥作用，此外还是许多生化活动的场所。基于一种类似的硫酸化聚合物体系——燃料电池聚合物Nafion，我们提出了一个内皮表面层-糖萼复合物的结构及其功能的模型。结合物理化学在纳米气泡方面的平行发展、它们在生理介质中的稳定性和反应性，我们相信这个模型可能会揭示各种现象、糖尿病和其他一些疾病。
