Hypothesis: arterial glycocalyx dysfunction is the first step in the atherothrombotic process

We present evidence that the 0.5 µm thick gel layer, lining the inner wall of healthy blood vessels, the glycocalyx, is the first line of defence against atherothrombotic disease. All blood vessel linings are coated with this gel, a highly negatively charged structure, rich in anionic sites mostly represented by the sialic acid moieties of glycoproteins and the sulphate and carboxyl groups of heparan-sulphate proteoglycans. Blood flow in arteries is associated with a shear stress at the glycocalyx, which signals the underlying endothelial cells to release nitric oxide (NO), an anti-atherogenic factor. Sites of low shear stress in the arterial tree are more susceptible to atheroma due to lack of NO generation through this mechanism, whereas exercise, by increasing blood flow and shear stress, is protective. We postulate that risk factors for atherothrombosis act by impairing glycocalyx function. That luminal hyperglycaemia causes glycocalyx dysfunction has already been shown; we postulate this to be the first step in the atherothrombotic process in patients with diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance). There is also evidence of glycocalyx defects from exposure to oxidized low-density lipoprotein. We postulate that other risk factors will have a similar action on the glycocalyx as the initiating factor in the disease process, e.g. smoking, hyperlipidaemias and hyperhomocystenaemia. These predictions can now be tested in a large animal model of shear-stress-mediated arterial dilatation.