Increased glyoxalase I levels inhibit accumulation of oxidative stress and an advanced glycation end product in mouse mesangial cells cultured in high glucose

Chronic high glucose levels lead to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) as well as AGE precursors, such as methylglyoxal (MG) and glyoxal, via non-enzymatic glycation reactions in patients with diabetic mellitus. Glyoxalase 1 (GLO-1) detoxifies reactive dicarbonyls that form AGEs. To investigate the interaction between AGEs and GLO-1 in mesangial cells (MCs) under diabetic conditions, AGE levels and markers of oxidative stress were measured in GLO-1-overexpressing MCs (GLO-1-MCs) cultured in high glucose. Furthermore, we also examined levels of high glucose-induced apoptosis in GLO-1-MCs. In glomerular MCs, high glucose levels increased the formation of both MG and argpyrimidine (an MG-derived adduct) as well as GLO-1 expression. GLO-1-MCs had lower intracellular levels of MG accumulation, 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (an oxidative DNA damage marker), 4-hydroxyl-2-nonenal (a lipid peroxidation product), and nitrosylated protein (a marker of oxidative-nitrosative stress) compared to control cells. Expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes I, II, and III was also decreased in GLO-1-MCs. Furthermore, fewer GLO-1-MCs showed evidence of apoptosis as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick labeling assay, and activation of both poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 cleavage and caspase-3 was lower in GLO-1-MCs than in control cells cultured in high glucose. These results suggest that GLO-1 plays a role in high glucose-mediated signaling by reducing MG accumulation and oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus.

► High glucose causes an increase in formation of AGE and GLO-1 expression in MCs.
► GLO-1 overexpression reduces high glucose-increased MG formation.
► GLO-1 overexpression reduces expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes.
► Overexpression of GLO-1 blocks high glucose-induced apoptotic cell death in MCs.