Effect of acute heparin administration on glycocalyx thickness and endothelial function in healthy younger adults.

Gimblet CJ, Ernst JW, Bos KD, Stroud AK, Donato AJ, Jalal DI, Pierce GL. Effect of acute heparin administration on glycocalyx thickness and endothelial function in healthy younger adults. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985). 2023 Dec 21.

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Abstract:

The endothelial glycocalyx is a dynamic, gel like layer that is critical to normal vascular endothelial function. Heparin impairs the endothelial glycocalyx and reduces vascular endothelial function in a murine model, however this has yet to be tested in healthy humans. We hypothesized that a single bolus dose of heparin would increase circulating glycocalyx components and decrease endothelial glycocalyx thickness resulting in blunted brachial artery vasodilation in healthy younger adults. Healthy adults (n = 19, aged 18-39 years, 47% female) underwent measurements of the endothelial glycocalyx and vascular endothelial function at baseline and after a single bolus 5000U dose of heparin. The glycocalyx components syndecan-1 and heparan sulfate were measured from plasma samples using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. Glycocalyx thickness was determined as perfused boundary region (PBR) in sublingual microvessels using the GlycoCheck. Endothelial function was measured via ultrasonography and quantified as brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Following acute heparin administration, there was no increase in syndecan-1 or heparan sulfate (P = 0.90 and P = 0.49, respectively). Additionally, there was no change in PBR 4-7µm (P = 0.55), PBR 10-25µm (P = 0.63), or 4-25µm (P = 0.49) after heparin treatment. Furthermore, we did not observe a change in FMDmm (P = 0.23), FMD% (P = 0.35) or plasma nitrite concentrations (P = 0.10) in response to heparin. Finally, time to peak dilation and peak FMD normalized to shear stress were unchanged following heparin (P = 0.59 and P = 0.21, respectively). Our pilot study suggests that a single bolus intravenous dose of heparin does not result in endothelial glycocalyx degradation or vascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy younger adults.