Methylglyoxal (MGO), a highly reactive compound with profound metabolic significance, is a modulator of several key biochemical pathways. Formed primarily as a by-product of glycolysis, MGO is also produced from the metabolism of ketone bodies, lipids, and some amino acids, especially under metabolic stress conditions such as fasting, diabetes, or oxidative stress. At low physiological concentrations, MGO can exert beneficial effects through hormesis—a phenomenon where low doses of a harmful compound elicit adaptive, protective responses in cells. Mild MGO exposure upregulates stress response proteins such as heat shock proteins and enhances proteasome activity, potentially improving protein quality control and stress tolerance. However, these beneficial effects are very dose-dependent, and elevated MGO levels are toxic. MGO’s most pronounced role is as a precursor to advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). MGO reacts non-enzymatically with proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, leading to the formation of AGEs, which accumulate in tissues and disrupt normal cellular function. AGE’s are implicated in the pathogenesis of several disease states such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, atherosclerosis and tissue ageing. AkrivisBio’s Methylglyoxal Assay is a simple sensitive way to measure methylglyoxal in a number of different sample types with a sensitivity below 1 nmole per well.
