Metabolism of fructose-3-phosphate in the diabetic rat lens

Fructose-3-phosphate and sorbitol-3-phosphate are produced in diabetic rat lenses by a 3-phosphokinase. While sorbitol-3-phosphate appears to be an inert polyol phosphate, fructose-3-phosphate is a potent cross-linking agent and a potential in vivo source of 3-deoxyglucosone. The objective of this study was to investigate the production and decomposition of fructose-3-phosphate in the diabetic rat lens. The results indicate that this metabolite achieves a steady-state concentration of almost 1 mumol/g wet weight within 2 weeks after the onset of diabetes. These steady-state levels appear to be a consequence of a balance between its production from fructose and its further decomposition to 3-deoxyglucosone. This conclusion is supported by results from disappearance of fructose-3-phosphate in insulin-treated diabetic rats and in vitro incubations of fructose-3-phosphate with amines where production of 3-deoxyglucosone was detected using a number of different methods including mass spectrometry. In agreement with these results, elevated concentrations of 3-deoxyglucosone along with its detoxification product, 3-deoxyfructose, were detected in the diabetic rat lenses. Other sugars and sugar phosphates which were detectable in the diabetic rat lenses were glucose, fructose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, and sedoheptulose-7-phosphate. In conclusion, results from this study suggest that fructose-3-phosphate and 3-deoxyglucosone are likely to be important contributors to the process of nonenzymatic glycation in diabetic rat lenses.