Essential role of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in the inflammatory response and mucosal injury after hemorrhagic shock (HS)

Introduction: Activation of RAGE by alarm ligands including HMGB1 stimulates the inflammatory response. We hypothesized that HS activates RAGE in injured tissues, specifically the intestinal epithelium. We previously showed that soluble(s) RAGE blocks ligand-RAGE interactions and prevents HS-induced mucosal damage/inflammation. We utilized RAGE deficient (KO) animals to definitively test the hypothesis that RAGE mediates intestinal injury following HS.