Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation

Abstract The glycocalyx is a complex layer of carbohydrate and protein molecules that surrounds the cell membrane of many types of mammalian cells. It serves several important functions, including cell adhesion and communication, and maintain cell shape and stability, especially in the case of eryth...

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Main Authors: Mehdi Abbasi, Min Jin, Yazdan Rashidi, Lionel Bureau, Daria Tsvirkun, Chaouqi Misbah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-10-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75012-0
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author Mehdi Abbasi
Min Jin
Yazdan Rashidi
Lionel Bureau
Daria Tsvirkun
Chaouqi Misbah
author_facet Mehdi Abbasi
Min Jin
Yazdan Rashidi
Lionel Bureau
Daria Tsvirkun
Chaouqi Misbah
author_sort Mehdi Abbasi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The glycocalyx is a complex layer of carbohydrate and protein molecules that surrounds the cell membrane of many types of mammalian cells. It serves several important functions, including cell adhesion and communication, and maintain cell shape and stability, especially in the case of erythrocytes. Alteration of glycocalyx composition represents a cardiovascular health threatening. For example, in diabetes mellitus glycocalyx of erythrocytes and of endothelial cells is known to be impaired, a potential source of blood occlusion in microcirculation, which may lead to blindness, and renal failure of patients. The impact of glycocalyx impairment on erythrocyte aggregation remains a largely unexplored research area. We conduct here in vitro-experiments in microfluidic devices in order to investigate erythrocytes aggregation incubated with amylase, an enzyme that partially breaks down glycocalyx molecules. It is found that incubation of erythrocytes by amylase leads to a dramatic increase of their aggregation and stability and alters the aggregates morphologies. Confocal microscopy analysis reveals a significant degradation of the glycocalyx layer, correlated with enhanced erythrocytes aggregation. An increased erythrocyte aggregation in vivo should affect oxygen and other metabolites delivery to organs and tissues. This study brings new elements about elucidation of microscopic origins of erythrocyte aggregation and their potential impact on cardiovascular pathologies.
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spelling doaj-art-a98199f72d474e4384e985eb8419e1c42025-08-20T01:50:38ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-10-0114111110.1038/s41598-024-75012-0Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregationMehdi Abbasi0Min Jin1Yazdan Rashidi2Lionel Bureau3Daria Tsvirkun4Chaouqi Misbah5Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de PhysiqueUniversité Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de PhysiqueDynamics of Fluids Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversityUniversité Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de PhysiqueUniversité Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de PhysiqueUniversité Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de PhysiqueAbstract The glycocalyx is a complex layer of carbohydrate and protein molecules that surrounds the cell membrane of many types of mammalian cells. It serves several important functions, including cell adhesion and communication, and maintain cell shape and stability, especially in the case of erythrocytes. Alteration of glycocalyx composition represents a cardiovascular health threatening. For example, in diabetes mellitus glycocalyx of erythrocytes and of endothelial cells is known to be impaired, a potential source of blood occlusion in microcirculation, which may lead to blindness, and renal failure of patients. The impact of glycocalyx impairment on erythrocyte aggregation remains a largely unexplored research area. We conduct here in vitro-experiments in microfluidic devices in order to investigate erythrocytes aggregation incubated with amylase, an enzyme that partially breaks down glycocalyx molecules. It is found that incubation of erythrocytes by amylase leads to a dramatic increase of their aggregation and stability and alters the aggregates morphologies. Confocal microscopy analysis reveals a significant degradation of the glycocalyx layer, correlated with enhanced erythrocytes aggregation. An increased erythrocyte aggregation in vivo should affect oxygen and other metabolites delivery to organs and tissues. This study brings new elements about elucidation of microscopic origins of erythrocyte aggregation and their potential impact on cardiovascular pathologies.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75012-0
spellingShingle Mehdi Abbasi
Min Jin
Yazdan Rashidi
Lionel Bureau
Daria Tsvirkun
Chaouqi Misbah
Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
Scientific Reports
title Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
title_full Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
title_fullStr Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
title_full_unstemmed Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
title_short Glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
title_sort glycocalyx cleavage boosts erythrocytes aggregation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75012-0
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AT minjin glycocalyxcleavageboostserythrocytesaggregation
AT yazdanrashidi glycocalyxcleavageboostserythrocytesaggregation
AT lionelbureau glycocalyxcleavageboostserythrocytesaggregation
AT dariatsvirkun glycocalyxcleavageboostserythrocytesaggregation
AT chaouqimisbah glycocalyxcleavageboostserythrocytesaggregation