The unremarkable alveolar epithelial glycocalyx: a thorium dioxide-based electron microscopic comparison after heparinase or pneumolysin treatment

Recent investigations analyzed in depth the biochemical and biophysical properties of the endothelial glycocalyx. In comparison, this complex cell-covering structure is largely understudied in alveolar epithelial cells. To better characterize the alveolar glycocalyx ultrastructure, unaffected versus injured human lung tissue explants and mouse lungs were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Lung tissue was treated with either heparinase (HEP), known to shed glycocalyx components, or pneumolysin (PLY), the exotoxin of Streptococcus pneumoniae not investigated for structural glycocalyx effects so far. Cationic colloidal thorium dioxide (cThO(2)) particles were used for glycocalyx glycosaminoglycan visualization. The level of cThO(2) particles orthogonal to apical cell membranes (

• Timm, S.
• Lettau, M.
• Hegermann, J.
• Rocha, M. L.
• Weidenfeld, S.
• Fatykhova, D.
• Gutbier, B.
• Nouailles, G.
• Lopez-Rodriguez, E.
• Hocke, A.
• Hippenstiel, S.
• Witzenrath, M.
• Kuebler, W. M.
• Ochs, M.