Aldose reductase

Aldose reductase (AR ) ( Gen: AKR1B1 ) is the name for enzymes that convert glucose to sorbitol. This is the first step in Polyolweg that is used by cells to produce fructose from glucose without ATP consumption. The most important task of AR is likely to reduce toxic aldehydes formed during metabolism. Every living thing uses AR. The adrenal glands produce most of the human AR, but it is active in all tissue types.

In diabetes or galactosemia caused by the AR much sorbitol, which accumulates due to the slowness of the sorbitol dehydrogenase in the cells, resulting in damages due to the high osmotic pressure, especially in the kidneys, eyes and nerves. To mitigate consequential damages of diabetes, therefore, organizations try to find drugs that inhibit the AR. A first marketing attempt with tolrestat had to be withdrawn in 1997 due to severe liver toxicity. The best-studied potential drugs are currently epalrestat and Ranirestat. Epalrestat has received approval in Japan.

In addition to the function in the sugar metabolism and detoxification of aldehydes AR plays a role in signal transduction during inflammatory processes.

Human Genome Organisation Adenosine triphosphate Digital Object Identifier
43174
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