Brain-Specific Ultrastructure of Capillary Endothelial Glycocalyx and Its Possible Contribution for Blood Brain Barrier

Yoshiaki Ando; Hideshi Okada; Genzou Takemura; Kodai Suzuki; Chihiro Takada; Hiroyuki Tomita; Ryogen Zaikokuji; Yasuaki Hotta; Nagisa Miyazaki; Hirohisa Yano; Isamu Muraki; Ayumi Kuroda; Hirotsugu Fukuda; Yuki Kawasaki; Haruka Okamoto; Tomonori Kawaguchi; Takatomo Watanabe; Tomoaki Doi; Takahiro Yoshida; Hiroaki Ushikoshi; Shozo Yoshida; Shinji Ogura

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-35976-2

journal article Open Access Nov 30, 2018

Brain-Specific Ultrastructure of Capillary Endothelial Glycocalyx and Its Possible Contribution for Blood Brain Barrier

Yoshiaki Ando

Hideshi Okada Genzou Takemura Kodai Suzuki Chihiro Takada Hiroyuki Tomita

Ryogen Zaikokuji Yasuaki Hotta Nagisa Miyazaki Hirohisa Yano Isamu Muraki Ayumi Kuroda Hirotsugu Fukuda Yuki Kawasaki

Haruka Okamoto

Tomonori Kawaguchi Takatomo Watanabe Tomoaki Doi Takahiro Yoshida

Hiroaki Ushikoshi Shozo Yoshida Shinji Ogura

Scientific Reports Vol. 8 No. 1 · Springer Science and Business Media LLC

View at Publisher Save 10.1038/s41598-018-35976-2

Abstract

AbstractEndothelial glycocalyx coats healthy vascular endothelium and plays an important role in vascular homeostasis. Although cerebral capillaries are categorized as continuous, as are those in the heart and lung, they likely have specific features related to their function in the blood brain barrier. To test that idea, brains, hearts and lungs from C57BL6 mice were processed with lanthanum-containing alkaline fixative, which preserves the structure of glycocalyx, and examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We found that endothelial glycocalyx is present over the entire luminal surface of cerebral capillaries. The percent area physically covered by glycocalyx within the lumen of cerebral capillaries was 40.1 ± 4.5%, which is significantly more than in cardiac and pulmonary capillaries (15.1 ± 3.7% and 3.7 ± 0.3%, respectively). Upon lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular injury, the endothelial glycocalyx was reduced within cerebral capillaries, but substantial amounts remained. By contrast, cardiac and pulmonary capillaries became nearly devoid of glycocalyx. These findings suggest the denser structure of glycocalyx in the brain is associated with endothelial protection and may be an important component of the blood brain barrier.

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References

Details

Published: Nov 30, 2018
Vol/Issue: 8(1)
License: View

Authors

Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka 830‑0011, Japan

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Award: 16H05497

Cite This Article

Yoshiaki Ando, Hideshi Okada, Genzou Takemura, et al. (2018). Brain-Specific Ultrastructure of Capillary Endothelial Glycocalyx and Its Possible Contribution for Blood Brain Barrier. Scientific Reports, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35976-2

Brain-Specific Ultrastructure of Capillary Endothelial Glycocalyx and Its Possible Contribution for Blood Brain Barrier

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