SUMMARYThe accumulation of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) is believed to be a factor in the development of aging nephropathy. We have attempted to establish a link between the formation of AGEs and the onset of renal impairment with aging, indicated by albuminuria, using a fluorescence assay and immunohistochemical detection of AGEs in the renal extracellular matrix in rats. The fluorescence of collagenase-digested Type IV collagen from GBM increased with age, from 1.65 Ϯ 0.05 AU/mM OHPro (3 months) and 1.58 Ϯ 0.04 (10 months

Aging is accompanied by a gradual deterioration of cell functions. Mitochondrial dysfunction and accumulation of protein damage have been proposed to contribute to this process. The present study was carried out to examine the effects of aging in mitochondrial matrix isolated from rat liver. The activity of Lon protease, an enzyme implicated in the degradation of abnormal matrix proteins, was measured and the accumulation of oxidation and glycoxidation (N e -carboxymethyllysine, CML) products was monitored using immunochemical assays. The function of isolated mitochondria was assessed by measuring respiratory chain activity. Mitochondria from aged (27 months) rats exhibited the same rate of oxygen consumption as those from adult (10 months) rats without any change in coupling efficiency. At the same time, the ATP-stimulated Lon protease activity, measured as fluorescent peptides released, markedly decreased from 10-month-old rats (1.15 ± 0.15 FUAElg protein )1 AEh )1 ) to 27-month-old-rats (0.59 ± 0.08 FUAElg protein )1 AEh )1 ). In parallel with this decrease in activity, oxidized proteins accumulated in the matrix upon aging while the CML-modified protein content assessed by ELISA significantly increased by 52% from 10 months (11.71 ± 0.61 pmol CMLAElg protein )1 ) to 27 months (17.81 ± 1.83 pmol CMLAElg protein )1 ). These results indicate that the accumulation of deleterious oxidized and carboxymethylated proteins in the matrix concomitant with loss of the Lon protease activity may affect the ability of aging mitochondria to respond to additional stress.

Aging is characterized by progressive decline of major cell functions, associated with accumulation of altered macromolecules, particularly proteins. This deterioration parallels age-related dysfunction of mitochondria, thought to be a major determinant of this decline in cell function, since these organelles are both the main sources of reactive oxygen species and targets for their damaging effects. To investigate the link between glycation damages that accumulate with aging and the status of mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes, we identified, by mass spectrometry after two dimensional-gel electrophoresis and western blotting, advanced glycation end product-modified matrix proteins in rat liver mitochondria. Catalase appeared to be the only antioxidant enzyme markedly glycated in old rats. Immunogold labeling performed on isolated mitochondria confirmed the mitochondrial matrix location of this enzyme. The content of catalase protein in mitochondrial extract increased with aging whereas the catalase activity was not significantly modified, in spite of a significant increase rate of glycation. Treatment of catalase with the glycating agent fructose led to significant time-dependent inactivation of the enzyme, while methylglyoxal had no noticeable effect. Catalase was co-identified with unglycated glutathione peroxidase-1 in the mitochondrial extracts. Taken together, these results indicate that both anti-oxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase-1 housed in liver mitochondria, exhibited a differential sensitivity to glycation; moreover, they lend support to the hypothesis that glycation damages targeting catalase with aging may severely affect its activity, suggesting a link between glycation stress and the age-related decline in antioxidant defense in the mitochondria.

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