Immunological Detection of Nw - (Carbbxymethy l)arginine by a Specific Antibody

摘要

N~w-(carboxymethyljarginine (CMA) is an acid-labile advanced glycation end product (AGE) that was discovered in enzymatic hydrolysate of glycated collagen. Subsequently, CMA was also detected in human serum, and its level in patients with diabetes was found to be higher than in people without the disease. However^ the histological localization of CMA and its pathophys-iological significance remains poorly understood. Here, to address this issue, we developed a monoclonal antibody specific for CMA. This antibody reacted with CMA and CMA-protein adduct, whereas it did not cross-react with its analogues, such as iVe-(carboxymethyl)lysine and tS"-(carboxymetliyl)cysteine, indicating that the antibody specifically recognizes CMA. Upon im-munohistochemical analysis, a significant CMA immnoreactivity was found in atherosclerotic lesions, whereas no such immunoreactivity was observed in normal regions. This suggests that the accumulation of CMA in tissue proteins may contribute to the pathophysiologies associated with aging and age-related diseases.