Diabetologia
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Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are believed to play an important role in the development of diabetic complications. AGEs are increased in experimental diabetes and treatment with the inhibitor of advanced glycation end products, aminoguanidine, has been shown to attenuate the level of these products in tissues undergoing complications. Recently, an AGE-binding protein has been isolated from bovine lung endothelial cells and termed the receptor for advanced glycated end products (RAGE). ⋯ A similar pattern was observed for RAGE in the aorta. In the lung, RAGE was found widely distributed throughout the lung whereas the distribution of AGE staining was more limited, primarily localising to macrophages. The co-localisation of AGEs and RAGE in sites of diabetic microvascular injury suggests that this ligand-receptor interaction may represent an important mechanism in the genesis of diabetic complications.