The Study Of Advanced Glycation End Products On Regulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells' Function And Its Mechanism

Objective: To study the effects of advanced glycation end products-human serum albumin (AGE-HSA) on the expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), proliferation and apoptosis of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).Methods: The mononuclear cells were obtained by Ficoll density gradient centri- fugation and induced into EPCs in vitro. After stimulated with AGE-HSA, the expression of RAGE and the influence of mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK) inhibitors, TXL on RAGE's expression were observed. FACS was used to measure proliferation and apoptosis of EPCs, secretion cytokines were measured by ELISA.Results: AGE-HSA can up-regulate the expression of RAGE, and this can be inhibited by p38, Erk MAPK and TXL. AGE-HSA also decreased the rate of proliferation and promoted the rate of apoptosis of EPCs, and enhanced the secretion of TNF-α, sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, thus these effects can be inhibited by anti-RAGE antibody, p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, Erk-MAPK inhibitor PD98059 and TXL.Conclusion: AGE-HSA up-regulates the expression of RAGE at least partly through p38, Erk MAPK pathway. These findings might explain in part the interactive roles of AGEs and EPCs in the processes of atherosclerosis.