Glycative stress and glyoxalase in kidney disease and aging

Glycation is one of the important reactions regulating physiological state, and glycative stress, namely an overwhelming and unfavourable glycation state, is established as a pathological factor. Glycative stress is closely associated with not only various kidney diseases, but also kidney aging. Accumulating evidence, including studies in my laboratory, demonstrates that progression of renal tubular damage and its aging is correlated with the decrease in the activity of anti-glycative stress enzyme Glo1 (glyoxalase I) in the kidney. The reduction of glycative and oxidative stresses by Glo1 overexpression is beneficial for prevention of kidney disease and treatment, suggesting the novel therapeutic approaches targeting Glo1. The present review is focused on the impact of glycative stress and Glo1 on protein homoeostasis and discusses further the cross-talk between glycative stress and UPR (unfolded protein response), which controls the protein homoeostasis state.