Prevention of diabetes-induced albuminuria in transgenic rats overexpressing human aldose reductase.

Studies using pharmacologic inhibitors have implicated the enzyme aldose reductase in the pathogenesis of albuminuria and diabetic renal disease. However, a clear conclusion is not easily drawn from such studies since these pharmacologic inhibitors have nonspecific properties. To examine further the role of aldose reductase, we have overexpressed the human enzyme in a transgenic rat model.