Abstract
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in several skeletal muscle dysfunctions. However, whether the adverse effects of AGEs on skeletal muscle are because of their direct action on the skeletal muscle tissue is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the direct and acute effects of AGEs on skeletal muscle using an isolated mouse skeletal muscle to eliminate several confounders derived from other organs. The results showed that the incubation of isolated mouse skeletal muscle with AGEs (1 mg/mL) for 2-6 h suppressed protein synthesis and the mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Furthermore, AGEs showed potential inhibitory effects on protein degradation pathways, including autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Additionally, AGEs stimulated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by modulating the activating transcription factor 6, PKR-like ER kinase, C/EBP homologous protein, and altered inflammatory cytokine expression. AGEs also stimulated receptor for AGEs (RAGE)-associated signaling molecules, including mitogen-activated protein kinases. These findings suggest that AGEs have direct and acute effect on skeletal muscle and disturb proteostasis by modulating intracellular pathways such as RAGE signaling, protein synthesis, proteolysis, ER stress, and inflammatory cytokines.