Weight increase is associated with skeletal muscle immunostaining for advanced glycation end products, receptor for advanced glycation end products, and oxidation injury.

BACKGROUND

Tissue accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is associated with ageing, both in diabetics and nondiabetic subjects.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to assess immunostaining for AGEs, specifically carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) and receptor for AGEs (RAGE), in muscle tissue of healthy male subjects differing in age and weight stability.

METHODOLOGY

Muscle tissue was obtained during hernia surgery in middle-aged men reporting weight maintenance (WM, n = 10) or weight gain (WG, n = 7), and also in 4 elderly men. Tissue inmunostaining for CML and RAGE was performed.

RESULTS

Intensity of CML and RAGE staining were highly correlated (r = 0.84) and also significantly associated with weight change and age. Muscle AGEs accretion was statistically associated with muscle expression of oxidative injury (8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal) and inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha).

DISCUSSION

The increase of skeletal muscle AGEs/RAGE and markers of inflammation and oxidative injury in association with weight gain and old age suggest a pathogenic role of AGEs in weight gain and in sarcopenia of aging.