Aldose reductase mRNA expression is associated with rapid development of diabetic microangiopathy in Japanese Type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients

There appears to be an obvious difference in the susceptibility to diabetic microangiopathy among Type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. We examined the hyp othesis that aldose reductase (AR) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expres sion may be enhanced in diabetic patients susceptible to diabetic microangi opathy by measuring AR mRNA expression in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) obtained from T2DM patients. The AR mRNA and p-actin mRNA expression s were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. The relative AR mRNA expression to beta-actin mRNA expression significantly increased in the PMNs of T2DM patients, compared to normal healthy control s. The relative AR mRNA expression tended to increase with an increase of g lycosylated haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) levels. The patients who showed bot h progressive diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy within 10 years after the diagnosis of T2DM (Group I) showed significantly 1.6 times higher AR mRNA expressions than those who have not shown both complications over 10 years after diagnosis (Group II), in spite of no obvious difference in g lycaemic control between both groups. The present data indicate that the AR mRNA expression increased in the PMNs of T2DM patients and there is an obv ious difference in the PMNs AR mRNA expression between T2DM patients suscep tible and relatively resistant to the development of diabetic microangiopat hy.