Just as in our precious ocean waters, which have coral reefs to provide a healthy ecosystem, we have a very similar process in the lining of our blood vessels. In 1966, there was a discovery by electron microscopy that revealed a dark layer lining every blood vessel. In 2009, with better technology, this dark thickness inside the blood vessels showed a dynamic moving layer that was call the glycocalyx. By 2017, advanced techniques quantified the glycocalyx structure showing that it had an ecosystem of its own.
Today, we know that the metabolic changes to the vascular glycocalyx is involved in aging and disease; which brings about the topic of how we protect this important barrier.
The endothelial glycocalyx (EG) is lining each artery, vein and capillary and is a major factor for the health to our Blood Brain Barrier.
Just in the last 5 years, scientist have figured out what this structure is doing inside of each blood vessel. There are 3 main ways the EG provides health to our blood vessels: Selective permeability, sensing mechanical forces, and lastly it acts as a bridge for immune surveillance.
The EG has a jelly-like substance made from hyaluronic acid, heparin sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate which are carbohydrate molecules with an electric negative charge provided from the sulfate molecules. These negative charges prevent any other negative charged molecules or cells from entering while attracting positive charged molecules.
The hairs, within the EG, provide sensors for blood pressure and flow changes. The sheering forces from elevated blood pressure will cause the specific cells to release nitric oxide within the vessels, thus dilating arteries to normalize blood pressure.
Our blood vessels carry hormones, proteins, inflammatory cells and of course our red blood cells, to list a few. The EG prevents the inflammatory cells from binding our blood vessel walls to support an environment that is free from blood clots.
Calcified plaques inside our arteries develop from oxidated LDL particles activating an inflammatory response within the EG. This injures the EG and permits immune cells and oxidized LDL particles to pass through our vessel walls.
There are many factors responsible for the destruction of the Endothelial Glycocalyx. Chronic inflammation releases reactive oxygen species (ROS) which will go on to damage the EG. Certain cytokines, due to inflammation and metabolic disorders, such as IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) degrade the hyaluronic acid component which acts as the protective jelly layer. Also, uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure) will eventually destroy the EG, via sheer forces. High glucose or oxidized lipids levels, in the blood, will damage the EG sometimes in just hours.
Finally, microplastics in the blood can damage the EG, leading to vascular permeability and more ROS.
There are no symptoms to correspond to the damage of our Endothelial Glycocalyx until it is too late and then we present with coronary artery disease, strokes, or vascular dementia. Scientists are now looking into therapies to restore the health of this very important ecosystem. However, at the present time, given that we know what damages it, we have modalities to prevent further damage.
It’s crucial that we understand how important it is to maintain an ecosystem for the health of our bodies. We spend a great deal of time making e orts to protect our environment and the unique ecosystems on our planet. But maybe …it’s time to take this same focus inwards and start with ourselves?
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