Collagen aging in vitro by nonenzymatic glycosylation and browning.

Aging and diabetes mellitus are associated with cross-linking and nonenzymatic glycosylation of collagen. Incubation of tendon fibers with reducing sugars results in increased breaking time in urea similar to that seen in aging, and in nonenzymatic glycosylation and browning. Effect of a sugar is proportional to the amount of sugar available in the open chain form. The increase in breaking time correlates with the appearance of chromophores characteristic of crosslinked browning products. Collagen altered by nonenzymatic browning may play a role in some age-like major complications of diabetes.