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1 Department of Medical Physics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 Department of Medical Biochemistry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: h.vink{at}amc.uva.nl.
Vascular endothelial cells are shielded from direct exposure to flowing blood by the endothelial glycocalyx, a highly hydrated mesh of glycoproteins, sulfated proteoglycans and associated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Recent data indicate that incorporation of the unsulfated GAG hyaluronan (HA) into the endothelial glycocalyx is essential to maintain its permeability barrier properties and we hypothesized that fluid shear stress is an important stimulus for endothelial HA synthesis. In order to evaluate the effect of shear stress on glycocalyx synthesis and shedding of its GAGs into the supernatant, cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (i.e. the stable cell line EC-RF24) were exposed to 10 dynes/cm2 non-pulsatile shear stress for 24 h and incorporation of [3H]glucosamine and Na2[35S]O4 into GAGs was determined. Furthermore, the amount of HA in the glycocalyx and in the supernatant was determined by ELISA. Shear stress did not affect the incorporation of 35S , but significantly increased the amount of glucosamine-containing GAGs incorporated in the endothelial glycocalyx (168 ±17% of static levels, P < 0.01) and shedded into the supernatant (231 ± 41% of static levels, P < 0.01). Correspondingly with this finding, shear stress increased the amount of HA in the glycocalyx (from 26 ± 24 x 10-4 ng/cell to 46 ± 29 x 10-4 ng/cell, static vs. shear stress, P < 0.05) and in the supernatant (from 28 ± 11 x 10-4 ng/cell/h to 55 ± 16 x 10-4 ng/cell/h, static vs. shear stress, P < 0.05). The increase in the amount of hyaluronan incorporated in the glycocalyx was confirmed by a 3-fold higher level of hyaluronan binding protein within the glycocalyx of shear stress-stimulated endothelial cells. In conclusion, fluid shear stress stimulates incorporation of hyaluronan in the glycocalyx, which may contribute to its vasculo-protective effects against pro-inflammatory and pro-atherosclerotic stimuli.
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