Authors: Price, C. L.; Knight, S. C.

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design, Volume 13, Number 36, December 2007 , pp. 3681-3687(7)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Atherosclerosis is a major global cause of morbidity and mortality, and diabetes patients are at increased risk of coronary heart disease development. Advanced glycation of proteins occurs in the body due to raised concentrations of reducing sugars and reactive oxygen species, and is a causal factor behind complications of diabetes. Glycated proteins, through alteration of protein structure and function, and from ligation with their receptors, lead to widespread vascular damage. The α-oxoaldehyde, methylglyoxal (MG) is the most reactive glycation precursor, and is increased in the blood of diabetes patients. There is debate about the triggering events leading to atherosclerosis, but the inflammatory action of glycated proteins, including those with MG adducts, through their receptor, RAGE, is a major candidate for initiating plaque formation. In addition glycation may cause cross-links on proteins of the extracellular matrix, stiffening arteries and `trapping' other macromolecules. MG is also likely to form adducts on many other proteins, enzymes, lipids, DNA or RNA, changing their structure, and may disrupt enzyme activity, hormone regulation and immune function. In the latter context, MG disrupts function of the potent antigen presenting cells, dendritic cells. This effect may be a double edged sword: Poor control of infections may contribute to persistent inflammation, whilst inhibition of immune activation by dendritic cells may inhibit plaque progression. This review aims to present these ideas as a novel slant on the role of the glycation process in atherosclerosis.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; advanced glycation; methylglyoxal; RAGE; immune cells

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161207783018608

Affiliations: 1: Antigen Presentation Research Group, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, North West London Hospitals campus, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex, UK. HA1 3UJ.

Publication date: 2007-12-01

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• Current Pharmaceutical Design publishes timely in-depth reviews covering all aspects of current research in rational drug design. Each issue is devoted to a single major therapeutic area. A Guest Editor who is an acknowledged authority in a therapeutic field has solicits for each issue comprehensive and timely reviews from leading researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and academia.
  
  Each thematic issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design covers all subject areas of major importance to modern drug design, including: medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, drug targets and disease mechanism.

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