Effect of advanced glycosylation end products on expression of connective tissue growth factor in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To explore the effect of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) on expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the mechanism of accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes. Methods VSMCs were isolated and cultured from the thoracic aorta of rat. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western immunoblot analysis were used to detect the expression level of CTGF mRNA and protein. Results The expression of CTGF mRNA and protein were increased by AGE-BSA in the time- and dose-dependent manners(P<0.05). Conclusions AGEs may increase the expression activity of CTGF in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.