Purpose Diabetic retinopathy is a vision-threatening complication of diabetes characterized
by endothelial injury and vascular dysfunction. The loss of the endothelial glycocalyx, a
dynamic layer lining all endothelial cells, contributes to several microvascular pathologies,
including an increase in vascular permeability, leukocyte plugging, and capillary occlusion,
and may drive the progression of retinopathy. Previously, a significant decrease in
glycocalyx thickness has been observed in diabetic retinas. However, the effects of diabetes …