Clinical trials of sorbinil on nerve function.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Endocrinology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus.
• The polyol pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.
• Aldose reductase inhibitors are being investigated for their therapeutic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of sorbinil in improving or preventing diabetic neural function.
• To assess the impact of sorbinil on nerve conduction velocity in diabetic patients.
• To investigate the role of polyol pathway activity in diabetic neuropathy.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, crossover trial evaluating sorbinil in 39 diabetic patients.
• Measurement of motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities (NCV) before, during, and after sorbinil treatment.
• A second, larger multi-center trial with clinical and objective neuropathy assessments.

Main Results:

• Sorbinil treatment significantly increased peroneal motor NCV, median motor NCV, and median sensory NCV compared to placebo.
• These improvements in nerve conduction velocity were reversed upon cessation of sorbinil.
• The observed effects were independent of glycemic control.

Conclusions:

• Sorbinil demonstrates efficacy in improving nerve conduction velocity in diabetic patients.
• These findings support the hypothesis that polyol pathway activity contributes to slowed nerve conduction in diabetes.
• Further research is warranted to explore the long-term benefits and safety of aldose reductase inhibitors for diabetic neuropathy.