UVA Radiation Disturbed Type I Collagen Fibrillation by Enhancing Early Glycation

Our previous studies demonstrated that UVA radiation promotes formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), a polymorphic group of compounds formed in late stage glycation. However, the effect of UVA radiation on early glycation is not well studied especially in diabetic patients. Wound healing is known to be slower in patients with hyperglycemia. We hypothesize that early glycation of the nascent collagen monomers play a role in retarding the wound healing process. In this report, we examine the role of UVA radiation on the process of collagen fibril formation and Amadori product generation in vitro. Turbidity curve profiles showed that with UVA treatment, there was a delay in collagen fibril formation and this delay increased with higher sugar concentrations. Moreover, fewer free lysine residues were detected when collagen-glucose solutions were treated with UVA radiation. We then quantified the level of Amadori product generation and found that the amount of these early glycation products were hi...