Influence of dietary supplementation with French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®) on endothelial glycocalyx structures in a dynamic cell culture model
- 1Universität Würzburg, Institut für Pharmazie und Lebensmittelchemie
Abstract
The endothelial glycocalyx (GCX) is a major contributor to endothelial cell function and vascular integrity. GCX damage has been linked to atherosclerosis promotion and other pathophysiologic states. The dietary supplement Pycnogenol®, a standardized extract from the bark of Pinus pinaster , has shown beneficial impact on cardiovascular and endothelial health in various clinical studies, but the underlying effect mechanism is not fully understood. The purpose of the present investigation was to explore the influence of human serum collected before and after Pycnogenol® supplementation on the properties of the endothelial GCX under basal, osmotic and inflammatory conditions. Since static cell culture poorly reproduces a physiologically relevant GCX, while controlled flow systems are technically demanding, a suitable cell culture model was to be established. A dynamic culture model using a rocking shaker was successfully implemented. Visualization of endothelial GCX structures using lectin-based staining with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) revealed significantly increased WGA intensity (approximately 60%) under dynamic compared to static culture conditions. Under dynamic conditions, endothelial cell viability and proliferation were significantly enhanced as well as the functional responsiveness to TNF-alpha and sodium chloride exposure. When cells were dynamically incubated with serum samples obtained from healthy volunteers before and after intake of Pycnogenol®, the WGA signal intensity per cell significantly increased across all conditions. Endothelial monolayer permeability as determined with labelled dextran decreased by up to 48% after incubation with serum obtained after intake of Pycnogenol®. Moreover, the GCX shedding markers syndecan-4 and hyaluronan were significantly lower after supplementation with a significant attenuation of the response to TNF-alpha, suggesting a potential GCX protective effect by Pycnogenol® under inflammatory conditions. In summary, this study demonstrated that dynamic culture conditions promoted the formation of more pronounced glycocalyx-associated surface structures in human endothelial cells compared to static culture. In the dynamic cell culture model, application of serum samples obtained after intake of Pycnogenol® was associated with improvement of endothelial GCX properties suggesting that bioavailable and bioactive Pycnogenol® constituents and/or metabolites stabilized the endothelial GCX and improved barrier integrity.
Related
- Endothelial glycocalyx remodeling and galectin signaling in aging associated epilepsy
- Obstetric Shock Beyond Hemorrhage: Microcirculatory Shunting, Endothelial Glycocalyx Injury, and Mitochondrial Failure in Pregnancy—A Narrative Review
- Endothelial glycocalyx dysfunction in the setting of mechanical thrombectomy: a conceptual link between cardiometabolic vulnerability and microvascular reperfusion failure
- The effect of goal-directed fluid therapy on endothelial glycocalyx and short-term postoperative recovery quality in older patients undergoing laparoscopic hernia or gallbladder surgery: a randomized controlled double-blind clinical study.
- Effects of transient intravascular volume overload on endothelial glycocalyx thickness in healthy anesthetized cats.
BibTeX
@article{hanna2026influence,
title = {{Influence of dietary supplementation with French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®) on endothelial glycocalyx structures in a dynamic cell culture model}},
author = {Maria Loka Hanna and Petra Högger},
journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1949994},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1949994/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Influence of dietary supplementation with French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®) on endothelial glycocalyx structures in a dynamic cell culture model
AU - Maria Loka Hanna
AU - Petra Högger
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1949994
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1949994/full
AB - The endothelial glycocalyx (GCX) is a major contributor to endothelial cell function and vascular integrity. GCX damage has been linked to atherosclerosis promotion and other pathophysiologic states. The dietary supplement Pycnogenol®, a standardized extract from the bark of Pinus pinaster , has shown beneficial impact on cardiovascular and endothelial health in various clinical studies, but the underlying effect mechanism is not fully understood. The purpose of the present investigation was to explore the influence of human serum collected before and after Pycnogenol® supplementation on the properties of the endothelial GCX under basal, osmotic and inflammatory conditions. Since static cell culture poorly reproduces a physiologically relevant GCX, while controlled flow systems are technically demanding, a suitable cell culture model was to be established. A dynamic culture model using a rocking shaker was successfully implemented. Visualization of endothelial GCX structures using lectin-based staining with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) revealed significantly increased WGA intensity (approximately 60%) under dynamic compared to static culture conditions. Under dynamic conditions, endothelial cell viability and proliferation were significantly enhanced as well as the functional responsiveness to TNF-alpha and sodium chloride exposure. When cells were dynamically incubated with serum samples obtained from healthy volunteers before and after intake of Pycnogenol®, the WGA signal intensity per cell significantly increased across all conditions. Endothelial monolayer permeability as determined with labelled dextran decreased by up to 48% after incubation with serum obtained after intake of Pycnogenol®. Moreover, the GCX shedding markers syndecan-4 and hyaluronan were significantly lower after supplementation with a significant attenuation of the response to TNF-alpha, suggesting a potential GCX protective effect by Pycnogenol® under inflammatory conditions. In summary, this study demonstrated that dynamic culture conditions promoted the formation of more pronounced glycocalyx-associated surface structures in human endothelial cells compared to static culture. In the dynamic cell culture model, application of serum samples obtained after intake of Pycnogenol® was associated with improvement of endothelial GCX properties suggesting that bioavailable and bioactive Pycnogenol® constituents and/or metabolites stabilized the endothelial GCX and improved barrier integrity.
SN - 1663-9812
ER -