title: Advanced glycation endproducts regulate smooth muscle cells calcification in cultured HSMCs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the mechanism of Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) promoting the calcification of smooth muscle cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The successfully cultured smooth muscle cells were divided into three groups: normal culture group (group A), calcified culture group (group B), calcification + AGEs group (group C); the concentration of intracellular calcium ion was detected in each group; the promotion of AGEs on the calcification of HSMCs was confirmed by VON KOSSA staining; and the expressions of β-catenin, RAGE, β-catenin, OPG and E-cadherin protein were detected by immunofluorescence and western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The morphology of the cells in each group showed that the amount of calcified plaques in calcification + AGES group were significantly higher than the calcification group. VON KOSSA staining showed that with increasing concentrations of AGE-BSA, the amount of its calcification gradually increased. Calcium concentration in Calcification + 20 mg/L AGEs group was significantly higher, followed by 40 mg/L AGEs group. The expression of β-catenin increased with the increasing concentrations of AGEs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGEs can promote the calcification of human femoral artery smooth muscle cells, with a concentration gradient effect. With increasing concentrations of AGEs, the expression of RAGE increased, indicating that AGEs-induced HSMCs proliferation was correlated with RAGE expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Hu-Qiang
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Lei
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Zheng
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002114:Calcinosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; C081628:advanced glycation end products-bovine serum albumin; D051176:beta Catenin; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D002118:Calcium
keywords: AGEs; HSMCs; OPG; RAGE; calcification; β-catenin