title: Modulation of aldose reductase activity by aldose hemiacetals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glucose is considered as one of the main sources of cell damage related to aldose reductase (AR) action in hyperglycemic conditions and a worldwide effort is posed in searching for specific inhibitors of the enzyme. This AR substrate has often been reported as generating non-hyperbolic kinetics, mimicking a negative cooperative behavior. This feature was explained by the simultaneous action of two enzyme forms acting on the same substrate.
  
  
  METHODS
  The reduction of different aldoses and other classical AR substrates was studied using pure preparations of bovine lens and human recombinant AR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The apparent cooperative behavior of AR acting on glucose and other hexoses and pentoses, but not on tethroses, glyceraldehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal and 4-nitrobenzaldehyde, is generated by a partial nonclassical competitive inhibition exerted by the aldose hemiacetal on the reduction of the free aldehyde. A kinetic model is proposed and kinetic parameters are determined for the reduction of l-idose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the unavoidable presence of the hemiacetal, glucose reduction by AR occurs under different conditions with respect to other relevant AR-substrates, such as alkanals and alkenals, coming from membrane lipid peroxidation. This may have implications in searching for AR inhibitors. The emerging kinetic parameters for the aldoses free aldehyde indicate the remarkable ability of the enzyme to interact and reduce highly hydrophilic and bulky substrates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The discovery of aldose reductase modulation by hemiacetals offers a new perspective in searching for aldose reductase inhibitors to be developed as drugs counteracting the onset of diabetic complications.
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Biochemistry Unit, via San Zeno, 51, Pisa 56127, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balestri
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Biochemistry Unit, via San Zeno, 51, Pisa 56127, Italy; Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood "Nutraceuticals and Food for Health", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cappiello
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Biochemistry Unit, via San Zeno, 51, Pisa 56127, Italy; Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood "Nutraceuticals and Food for Health", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moschini
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Biochemistry Unit, via San Zeno, 51, Pisa 56127, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rotondo
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Mathematics, via Buonarroti, 2, Pisa 56127, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Biochemistry Unit, via San Zeno, 51, Pisa 56127, Italy; Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood "Nutraceuticals and Food for Health", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: antonella.delcorso@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del-Corso
authors.affiliation: University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Biochemistry Unit, via San Zeno, 51, Pisa 56127, Italy; Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood "Nutraceuticals and Food for Health", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mura
mesh_terms: D000080:Acetals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006601:Hexoses / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics
chemical_list: D000080:Acetals; D006601:Hexoses; C010997:idose; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase
keywords: Aldose reductase; Diabetes; Glucose; Hemiacetal; Partial inhibition; l-idose