title: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) activate mast cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) represent one of the many types of chemical modifications that occur with age in long-lived proteins. AGEs also accumulate in pathologies such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration and cancer. Mast cells are major effectors of acute inflammatory responses that also contribute to the progression of chronic diseases. Here we investigated interactions between AGEs and mast cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histamine secretion from AGEs-stimulated mast cells was measured. Involvement of a receptor for AGEs, RAGE, was assessed by PCR, immunostaining and use of inhibitors of RAGE. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytokines was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Advanced glycation endproducts dose-dependently induced mast cell exocytosis with maximal effects being obtained within 20 s. RAGE mRNA was detected and intact cells were immunostained by a specific anti-RAGE monoclonal antibody. AGEs-induced exocytosis was inhibited by an anti-RAGE antibody and by low molecular weight heparin, a known RAGE antagonist. RAGE expression levels were unaltered after 3 h treatment with AGEs. AGE-RAGE signalling in mast cells involves Pertussis toxin-sensitive G(i)-proteins and intracellular Ca(2+) increases as pretreatment with Pertussis toxin, caffeine, 2-APB and BAPTA-AM inhibited AGE-induced exocytosis. AGEs also rapidly stimulated ROS production. After 6 h treatment with AGEs, the pattern of cytokine secretion was unaltered compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced glycation endproducts activated mast cells and may contribute to a vicious cycle involving generation of ROS, increased formation of AGEs, activation of RAGE and to the increased low-grade inflammation typical of chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France. emilie.sick@pharma.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brehin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coupin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Landry
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gies
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D002118:Calcium