Histones from diabetic rats contain increased levels of advanced glycation end products.

In a recent report we have demonstrated the in vitro formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on histones in a time and sugar concentration dependent fashion. In the present work we examined histone advanced glycation in vivo. Diabetes was induced in rats by streptozotocin injection and the hyperglycemic state was maintained and surveyed for up to 24 weeks. Diabetic rats showed accumulation of early glycation products in plasma proteins and in hemoglobin. Histones from the liver of diabetic rats showed AGEs levels three-fold higher than those of their age-matched controls. Histone AGEs increased with the duration of diabetes and tended to increase with the age as well. Similar tendencies were apparent in skin collagen. Our data demonstrate that diabetes induces an increase in the accumulation of AGE products on histones. This reinforces the concept that advanced glycation occurs in intracellular proteins and suggests a possible role for intracellular glycation in the increased theratogeny associated with diabetes mellitus.