Availability of Receptors for Advanced Glycation End-Products (RAGE) Influences Differential Transcriptome Expression in Lungs from Mice Exposed to Chronic Secondhand Smoke (SHS)

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) has a central function in orchestrating inflammatory responses in multiple disease states including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). RAGE is a transmembrane pattern recognition receptor with particular interest in lung disease due to its naturally abundant pulmonary expression. Our previous research demonstrated an inflammatory role for RAGE following acute exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS). However, chronic inflammatory mechanisms associated with RAGE remain ambiguous. In this study, we assessed transcriptional outcomes in mice exposed to chronic SHS in the context of RAGE expression. RAGE knockout (RKO) and wild-type (WT) mice were delivered nose-only SHS via an exposure system for six months and compared to control mice exposed to room air (RA). We specifically compared WT + RA, WT + SHS, RKO + RA, and RKO + SHS. Analysis of gene expression data from WT + RA vs. WT + SHS showed FEZ1, Slpi, and Msln as significant at the three-month time point; while RKO + SHS vs. WT + SHS identified cytochrome p450 1a1 and Slc26a4 as significant at multiple time points; and the RKO + SHS vs. WT + RA revealed Tmem151A as significant at the three-month time point as well as Gprc5a and Dynlt1b as significant at the three- and six-month time points. Notable gene clusters were functionally analyzed and discovered to be specific to cytoskeletal elements, inflammatory signaling, lipogenesis, and ciliogenesis. We found gene ontologies (GO) demonstrated significant biological pathways differentially impacted by the presence of RAGE. We also observed evidence that the PI3K-Akt and NF-kappa B signaling pathways were significantly enriched in DEGs across multiple comparisons. These data collectively identify several opportunities to further dissect RAGE signaling in the context of SHS exposure and foreshadow possible therapeutic modalities.