Inhibition of aldose reductase: 13C NMR studies in isolated peripheral nerve.

We report 13C NMR measurements of the flux through aldose reductase in isolated rat sciatic nerve, and its inhibition by an aldose reductase inhibitor of the sulphonylnitromethane class. [1-13C] galactose was used as substrate, and the rate of production of [1-13C] dulcitol was measured. Quantitation required the use both of internal extracellular, and external, standards. The mean net forward flux (+/- SD) was 20 +/- 11 nmol/(mL nerve water)/min (n = 10). In the presence of the inhibitor, flux was reduced significantly (p < 0.001) to 13% of control. Since dulcitol is symmetrical, an estimate of the backward flux, to [6-13C] galactose, is also possible; under our conditions, this was negligible.

Kinetic characteristics of ZENECA ZD5522, a potent inhibitor of human and bovine lens aldose reductase.

Aldose reductase (aldehyde reductase 2) catalyses the conversion of glucose to sorbitol, and methylglyoxal to acetol. Treatment with aldose reductase inhibitors (ARIs) is a potential approach to decrease the development of diabetic complications. The sulphonylnitromethanes are a recently discovered class of aldose reductase inhibitors, first exemplified by ICI215918. We now describe enzyme kinetic characterization of a second sulphonylnitromethane, 3',5'-dimethyl-4'-nitromethylsulphonyl-2-(2-tolyl)acetanilide (ZD5522), which is at least 10-fold more potent against bovine lens aldose reductase in vitro and which also has a greater efficacy for reduction of rat nerve sorbitol levels in vivo (ED95 = 2.8 mg kg-1 for ZD5522 and 20 mg kg-1 for ICI 215918). ZD5522 follows pure noncompetitive kinetics against bovine lens aldose reductase when either glucose or methylglyoxal is varied (K(is) = K(ii) = 7.2 and 4.3 nM, respectively). This contrasts with ICI 215918 which is an uncompetitive inhibitor (K(ii) = 100 nM) of bovine lens aldose reductase when glucose is varied. Against human recombinant aldose reductase, ZD5522 displays mixed noncompetitive kinetics with respect to both substrates (K(is) = 41 nM, K(ii) = 8 nM with glucose and K(is) = 52 nM, K(ii) = 3.8 nM with methylglyoxal). This is the first report of the effects of a sulphonylnitromethane on either human aldose reductase or utilization of methylglyoxal. These results are discussed with reference to a Di Iso Ordered Bi Bi mechanism for aldose reductase, where the inhibitors compete with binding of both the aldehyde substrate and alcohol product. This model may explain why aldose reductase inhibitors follow noncompetitive or uncompetitive kinetics with respect to aldehyde substrates, and X-ray crystallography paradoxically locates an ARI within the substrate binding site. Aldehyde reductase (aldehyde reductase 1) is closely related to aldose reductase. Inhibition of bovine kidney aldehyde reductase by ZD5522 follows uncompetitive kinetics with respect to glucuronate (K(ii) = 39 nM), indicating a selectivity greater than 5-fold for bovine aldose reductase relative to aldehyde reductase.

Ponalrestat: a potent and specific inhibitor of aldose reductase.

Many of the complications of diabetes appear to be closely linked to increased conversion of tissue glucose to sorbitol which is catalysed by aldose reductase (aldehyde reductase 2, ALR2). Inhibition of ALR2 could, therefore, lead to a reduction in the development of diabetic complications. Ponalrestat ["Statil" (a trademark, the property of Imperical Chemical Industries PLC), "Prodiax" (a trademark, the property of Merck, Sharp and Dohme), ICI 128436, MK538] inhibits ALR2 from a number of sources. Until now, the mechanism of this inhibition has not been fully elucidated. In this paper, we present a detailed mechanism for inhibition of bovine lens ALR2 by ponalrestat. Treatment of humans with some ALR2 inhibitors leads to side-effects, some of which may result from interactions with other enzymes. Aldehyde reductase (ALR1) is probably the most closely related enzyme to ALR2. Inhibition of ALR1 from bovine kidney was, therefore, investigated in order to assess the specificity of ponalrestat. The values of Ki and Kies (apparent dissociation constants for inhibitor from enzyme-inhibitor and enzyme-inhibitor-substrate complexes, respectively) for the interactions of ponalrestat with ALR1 and ALR2 has been calculated by non-linear fitting of kinetic data. These values indicate that ponalrestat does not compete with binding of glucose of NADPH to ALR2, nor with binding of glucuronate or NADPH to ALR1. Lack of competition and the structural dissimilarity of substrates and inhibitor make it unlikely that ponalrestat will utilize substrate binding sites on other enzymes, and so produce undesirable side-effects via such a mechanism. Ponalrestat is a potent inhibitor (Ki = Kies = 7.7 nM) of ALR2 and follows a pure noncompetitive mechanism with respect to glucose. Efficacy, therefore, will not be decreased by development of hyperglycaemia. The compound is a mixed noncompetitive inhibitor of ALR1 when glucuronate is varied. The values of Ki and Kies are 60 microM and 3 microM, respectively, so that inhibition tends towards uncompetitive. The selectivity of ponalrestat in favour of ALR2, therefore, lies in the range 390 to 7,800-fold, being higher at lower concentrations of glucuronate. The high selectivity of ponalrestat in favour of ALR2 rather than ALR1 suggests that the compound is unlikely to inhibit other enzymes which have less homology with ALR2.

Purified rat lens aldose reductase. Polyol production in vitro and its inhibition by aldose reductase inhibitors.

The production of polyols in vitro by highly purified aldose reductase (EC 1.1.1.21) was monitored by g.l.c. In the presence of NADPH aldose reductase reduced glucose, galactose and xylose to the respective polyols sorbitol, galactitol and xylitol. The rates of formation of these polyols closely mirrored the Km values for the substrates obtained from kinetic measurements that monitored the rate of disappearance of NADPH. No polyol production occurred in the absence of purified aldose of purified aldose reductase, and analysis by g.l.c. revealed only the presence of unchanged monosaccharides. Addition of the aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil to purified rat lens aldose reductase incubated with xylose in the presence of NADPH resulted in decreased xylitol production. However, aldose reductase inhibitors produced no effect in altering the rate of Nitro Blue Tetrazolium formation from either glucose or xylose, indicating that the observed inhibition in vitro does not result from a free-radical-scavenger effect.