Figure 7.

Exemplary electron microscopic images of hearts without ischemia (a) and hearts subjected to 15 minutes of warm ischemia and 20 minutes of reperfusion without nitric oxide (NO) (b) (Control group) and with 4 μM exogenous NO (c) (NO group). The glycocalyx of 200 to 300 nm in width normally present in all vessels has virtually disappeared after ischemia and reperfusion in the absence of NO and edema has developed. NO partly mitigated these effects. The effect of heparinase is shown in (d) (HEP group) and (e) (HEP+NO group). EG, endothelial glycocalyx; IS, interstitial space; M, cardiomyocytes; VL, vascular lumen.