ABSTRACT
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) represent a complex group of compounds derived from endogenous as well as exogenous sources. Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have elevated serum AGEs compared to age and body mass index matched women. Maillard reaction is a multistep chemical reaction, where sugars react in a nonenzymatic way with amino acids, lipids, or nucleic acids and have a final irreversible step with the production of AGEs. Increased production of carbonyl molecules from the intermediate products of glycation via nonenzymatic pathways, leading to the accumulation of AGEs, is one of the mechanisms via which oxidative stress has been shown to interfere with different tissue functions, including the ovary. The sustained accumulation of endogenous AGEs, either due to aging or other chronic pathological conditions, interferes in signaling and activation of inflammatory pathways, promotes the oxidative overload, and deranges the energy availability and reproductive function of the female reproductive system.
