The aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil does not prevent the impairment in nitric oxide-mediated neurotransmission in anococcygeus muscle from diabetic rats.

Abstract

This study investigated whether increased polyol pathway activity could contribute to alterations in nitrergic neurotransmission in anococcygeus muscles from 8-week diabetic rats. In the presence of guanethidine (10-30 microM) and clonidine (0.01-0.05 microM), relaxations obtained to nitrergic nerve stimulation (0.5-5 Hz, 10-s train), to sodium nitroprusside (5-500 nM) and to nitric oxide (0.1-3 microM) were significantly reduced in muscles from diabetic rats compared to responses from control rats. Treatment of diabetic rats with the aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil (42 mg/kg per day via feed for 8 weeks) did not affect impaired reactivity to nitrergic nerve stimulation, sodium nitroprusside or nitric oxide. The results suggest increased polyol pathway activity does not contribute to the alterations in nitrergic neurotransmission in anococcygeus muscles from diabetic rats.