Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in the tissue fibrosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) expansion in organ complications of diabetes mellitus and in other diseases. CCN2, also known as cellular communication factor 2 and earlier as connective tissue growth factor, is a matrix-associated protein that acts as a pro-fibrotic cytokine to cause fibrosis in tissues in many diseases. We were the first to report that AGEs regulate CCN2, which itself can then affect ECM synthesis. In this chapter, we describe the methods of preparation of soluble AGEs and matrix-bound AGEs that can be used to study AGE effect on CCN2 and ECM expansion.
Keywords: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs); Bounded AGEs; CCN2; Extracellular matrix (ECM); Soluble AGEs.
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