Glycation stress drives aortic stiffening through oxidative stress and senescence

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US on November 14, 2025, titled "Methylglyoxal-induced glycation stress promotes aortic stiffening: putative mechanistic roles of oxidative stress and cellular senescence."

The study was led by first authors Parminder Singh of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and Ravinandan Venkatasubramanian of the University of Colorado Boulder, with senior contributions from corresponding authors Pankaj Kapahi (Buck Institute for Research on Aging) and Zachary S. Clayton (University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus). The researchers investigated how methylglyoxal (MGO), a toxic byproduct that builds up in blood vessels with age or metabolic dysfunction like diabetes, contributes to artery stiffening. Their findings are especially important to aging and diabetes-related cardiovascular risk.

Aortic stiffening, which reduces the flexibility of the body's largest artery, is a key predictor of cardiovascular disease in older adults. The research team used young and aged mice to study how MGO affects vascular health. In young mice, chronic exposure to MGO increased aortic stiffness by 21%. However, when treated with Gly-Low, a supplement containing natural compounds such as nicotinamide and alpha-lipoic acid, this stiffening was completely prevented. Gly-Low also reduced the buildup of MGO and its harmful byproducts, particularly MGH-1, in both blood and tissue.

"Aortic stiffness was assessed in vivo via pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ex vivo through elastic modulus."

The research showed that MGO's damage goes beyond structural changes. It also caused the endothelial cells that line blood vessels to enter senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing and begin releasing inflammatory signals. This led to lower levels of nitric oxide, a molecule essential for blood vessel relaxation. In human vascular cells in lab culture, Gly-Low reversed these aging-like changes and restored nitric oxide production.

In older mice, which naturally develop stiffer arteries, Gly-Low treatment during four months significantly reduced stiffness and lowered MGO and MGH-1 levels. This suggests that Gly-Low may help slow or even reverse vascular aging by reducing glycation stress.

The study also identified the glyoxalase-1 pathway as a critical mechanism. This is a natural detox system that helps clear harmful molecules like MGO. Gly-Low appeared to boost this pathway. When the pathway was chemically blocked, Gly-Low's protective effects disappeared, confirming its role in the process.

Overall, the findings highlight glycation stress as a modifiable contributor to vascular aging. The results suggest that natural compound-based therapies, like Gly-Low, may offer a potential strategy to protect arteries from age- and diabetes-related damage.