The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) has increasingly been demonstrated to be an important modulator of inflammation in cases of pulmonary disease. Published reports involving tobacco smoke exposure have demonstrated increased expression of RAGE, its participation in pro-inflammatory signaling and its role in irreversible pulmonary remodeling. The current research evaluated for the first time the in vivo effects of short-term tobacco smoke exposure in RAGE null and control mice compared to identical animals exposed to room air only. Quantitative real time PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry revealed elevated RAGE expression in controls after four weeks of exposure and an anticipated absence of RAGE expression in RAGE null mice regardless of smoke exposure. Inflammatory cell behaviors were confirmed by measuring active Ras, NF-κB, and cytokine synthesis and secretion. Furthermore, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was procured from RAGE null and control animals after exposure for the assessment of total protein in order to indirectly measure vascular permeability, inflammatory cells and chemoattractant molecules involved in the inflammatory response. As a general theme, inflammation induced by tobacco smoke exposure was influenced by the availability of RAGE. These data reveal captivating information suggesting a role for RAGE signaling in lungs exposed to tobacco smoke. Furthermore, research may demonstrate RAGE signaling as an important therapeutic target capable of ameliorating cell level inflammation in those coping with exposure.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BGMYU2/oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-5219 |
| Date | 10 July 2014 |
| Creators | Wood, Tyler Thomas |
| Publisher | BYU ScholarsArchive |
| Source Sets | Brigham Young University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/ |
Page generated in 0.2327 seconds