Fluid shear stress-dependent modulation of the basal endothelial glycocalyx

The vascular endothelial glycocalyx is a major regulator of endothelium
function, serving as a vital mechanotransducer and barrier. Shear stress
due to blood flow exerted on the apical endothelial cell (EC) and
glycocalyx has been the primary focus of the field due to their direct
interaction. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the basal glycocalyx,
exposed to the basement membrane, is sensitive to apical fluid shear
stress and necessary for promoting mechanotransduction pathways key to the
EC response to blood flow. Here, we demonstrate the fluid shear
stress-dependent modulation of the basal endothelial glycocalyx, showing a
notably different expression pattern and overall increased expression
compared to the apical glycocalyx. The dataset found here includes the raw
confocal z-stacks collected of fluorescently tagged human microvascular
endothelial cells after fluid shear stress exposure and the associated raw
data from quantitative analysis of the immunofluorescent signal. Our
findings, coupled with prior evidence linking the basal GCX to
cytoskeletal dynamics, underscore its potential role in vascular barrier
integrity and mechanotransduction.