Multiphoton and confocal imaging of advanced glycation end product saturation in tissues

Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) are the final products of tissue glycation. These molecules have been implicated in diabetic pathogenesis and aging. Since some AGEs are fluorescent, they may be used as long-term glycemic markers for diabetic progression. In this study, we performed multiphoton and confocal imaging on connective tissues that have been glycated for different periods. We found that the saturation level of the formation of fluorescent AGEs are about 90× that present at the control specimens. Our results suggest that a relative scale based on tissue autofluorescence may be used in monitoring diabetic progression.