Reduction of advanced-glycation end products levels and inhibition of RAGE signaling decreases rat vascular calcification induced by diabetes

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 21;9(1):e85922. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085922. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Advanced-glycation end products (AGEs) were recently implicated in vascular calcification, through a process mediated by RAGE (receptor for AGEs). Although a correlation between AGEs levels and vascular calcification was established, there is no evidence that reducing in vivo AGEs deposition or inhibiting AGEs-RAGE signaling pathways can decrease medial calcification. We evaluated the impact of inhibiting AGEs formation by pyridoxamine or elimination of AGEs by alagebrium on diabetic medial calcification. We also evaluated if the inhibition of AGEs-RAGE signaling pathways can prevent calcification. Rats were fed a high fat diet during 2 months before receiving a low dose of streptozotocin. Then, calcification was induced with warfarin. Pyridoxamine was administered at the beginning of warfarin treatment while alagebrium was administered 3 weeks after the beginning of warfarin treatment. Results demonstrate that AGEs inhibitors prevent the time-dependent accumulation of AGEs in femoral arteries of diabetic rats. This effect was accompanied by a reduced diabetes-accelerated calcification. Ex vivo experiments showed that N-methylpyridinium, an agonist of RAGE, induced calcification of diabetic femoral arteries, a process inhibited by antioxidants and different inhibitors of signaling pathways associated to RAGE activation. The physiological importance of oxidative stress was demonstrated by the reduction of femoral artery calcification in diabetic rats treated with apocynin, an inhibitor of reactive oxygen species production. We demonstrated that AGE inhibitors prevent or limit medial calcification. We also showed that diabetes-accelerated calcification is prevented by antioxidants. Thus, inhibiting the association of AGE-RAGE or the downstream signaling reduced medial calcification in diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / complications*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / physiopathology
  • Femoral Artery / drug effects
  • Femoral Artery / pathology
  • Femoral Artery / physiopathology
  • Glycation End Products, Advanced / metabolism*
  • Hemodynamics / drug effects
  • Male
  • Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / pathology
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / drug effects
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / pathology
  • Oxidation-Reduction / drug effects
  • Pyridinium Compounds
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products
  • Receptors, Immunologic / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction* / drug effects
  • Vascular Calcification / etiology*
  • Vascular Calcification / metabolism*
  • Vascular Calcification / pathology
  • Vascular Calcification / physiopathology

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Glycation End Products, Advanced
  • Pyridinium Compounds
  • Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products
  • Receptors, Immunologic
  • 1-methylpyridinium