[Effect of aldose reductase on the abnormality of calcium metabolism in diabetic patients].

Bone disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by low bone turnover, resulting from either impaired secretion of parathyroid hormone or osteoblasts dysfunction. We have reported that intracellular sorbitol accumulation via. sorbitol pathway might be involved in the development of osteoblast dysfunction and osteoclast formation, as evidenced by either in vitro or in vivo study. The importance of metabolic pathway is further supported by the protective effect of aldose reductase inhibitor against the development of galactose-induced bone diseases in vivo and of functional impairments of human osteoblasts-like MG-63 cells. In conclusion, sorbotol pathway might be important in the development of low bone turnover disease in DM patients, and thus aldose reductase inhibitor might be clinically useful in the protection against the development of bone diseases in DM patients.