Abstract
Activation of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) triggers cellular responses implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications; blockade of RAGE has been shown to inhibit the development of diabetic complications. To develop a screening system to identify novel disruptors of advanced glycation endproducts (AGE)-RAGE binding, we used an AGE-RAGE binding system in RAGE-overexpressing cells; test compounds were screened using this system. To construct human RAGE-overexpressing cells, mouse mesangial cells (MMCs) were stably transfected with the pcDNA-human RAGE (hRAGE) vector and selected under 1 mg/mL gentamicin (G418). RAGE expression in hRAGE-overexpressing MMCs was analyzed by Western blotting with specific RAGE antibody. To identify novel disruptors of AGE-RAGE binding, 50 single compounds and AGE-bovine serum albumin (BSA)-Alexa 488 (AGE-BSA labeled with Alexa 488) were treated to the hRAGE-overexpressing MMCs. Nonbinding AGE-BSA-Alexa 488 was washed and fluorescence measured by microtiter plate reader (excitation wavelength, 485 nm; emission wavelength, 528 nm). In hRAGE-overexpressing cells, only treatment with AGE-BSA-Alexa 488 significantly increased fluorescence intensity in a dose-dependent manner. Of 50 compounds tested, genistein disrupted AGE-RAGE binding in a dose-dependent manner. This AGE-RAGE binding system using AGE-BSA-Alexa 488 in hRAGE-overexpressing cells was suitable for screening of agents that disrupt AGE-hRAGE binding.
