Amount of N(omega)-(Carboxymethyl)arginine Generated in Collagen and Bovine Serum Albumin During Glycation Reactions is Significantly Different.

N(omega)-(Carboxymethyl)arginine (CMA), an advanced glycation end product (AGE), is found in glycated type I collagen. The levels of CMA generated in collagen and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were compared during in vitro glycation reactions. CMA production increased in collagen during incubation with glucose or ribose, attaining a molar quantity approximately the same as that of N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), the dominant AGE. These results suggest that CMA is a major AGE in collagen. In contrast, the rate of CMA generation was much slower in BSA. The rapid generation of CMA in collagen could be a useful marker for glycation processes implicated in connective tissue diseases.