EFFECTS OF ALDOSE REDUCTASE INHIBITION WITH TOLRESTAT ON DIABETIC-RETINOPATHY IN A 6 MONTHS DOUBLE-BLIND TRIAL

To study the effects of the new aldose reductase inhibitor tolrestat o n diabetic retinopathy, 31 diabetic patients with various degrees of r etinopathy were randomly assigned to either tolrestat (200 mg once dai ly) or placebo treatment for six months. Separate morphological featur es of diabetic retinopathy were assessed by fundus photography and flu orescein angiography before and at the end of the study. The results s howed some amelioration of clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy duri ng aldose reductase treatment. Hard exudates, intraretinal hemorrhages and focal fluorescein leakage increased on average in the placebo and decreased in the tolrestat group. The difference was statistically si gnificant for focal fluorescein leakage only. The permeability of the blood retinal barrier was determined by vitreous fluorophotometry befo re and at the end of the study. No change in permeability values was f ound.