myo-Inositol and sorbitol in erythrocytes from diabetic patients before and after sorbinil treatment

Summary Erythrocytes from diabetic patients before and after treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor, sorbinil, were analyzed by a capillary gas chromatographic method for sorbitol and myo-inositol. The mean erythrocyte sorbitol level in the diabetic patients was significantly higher than in the control subjects (13.1±0.9 and 5.2±0.3 nmol/ml erythrocytes, respectively, mean±SEM, p< 0.001). The mean erythrocyte myo-inositol level in diabetic patients was not different from that in control subjects (43.2±2.9 and 40.5±1.9nmol/ ml erythrocytes, respectively). Sorbinil treatment reduced the elevated sorbitol levels in the diabetic patients to normal or slightly below normal, but did not affect the erythrocyte myo-inositol concentration. It is concluded that the erythrocyte is not a suitable model to monitor a possible effect of sorbinil on myo-inositol concentration in less accessible tissues.