Mitochondrial oxidative stress promotes the accumulation of advanced glycation end products

by Firoz Akhter, Sourav Samanta, Alexandre A. Sosunov, Huawei Wu, Ethan Kim Tieu, Shi Fang Yan, Shirley ShiDu Yan

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a class of toxic metabolites that contribute to disease progression. In our previous study, we demonstrated that age-related AGE accumulation is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the direct link between mitochondrial dysfunction and AGE accumulation within the context of AD pathogenesis has not yet been fully explored. It also remains unclear whether mitochondrial stress and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) drive the accumulation of AGEs. This study, for the first time, provides evidence of progressive AGE accumulation in the cortical mitochondria of AD mice exhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and Aβ pathology. AGE levels were significantly correlated with Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and amyloid pathology. Notably, mitochondrial stress induced by a mitotoxin significantly increased the accumulation of AGEs in cellular and mitochondrial compartments. Scavenging mitochondrial ROS using the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant reduced AGE accumulation and improved mitochondrial function. Our findings highlight the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in AGE metabolism and provide new insights into the pathogenesis of AD.