Reduction of 4-hydroxynonenal and 4-hydroxyhexenal by retinal aldose reductase

Aldose reductase has been purified to homogeneity from bovine retina. It has an apparent molecular weight of 32,000 daltons and shares immunological and kinetic properties with the much studied aldose reductases purified from various sources. Retinal aldose reductase displays a K(m) of approximately 40 microM with 4-hydroxynonenal and 4-hydroxyhexenal, the oxidation end products of arachidonic and docosahexanoeic acids, respectively. It therefore appears that aldose reductase may constitute a major detoxification route of these toxic aldehydes in the retina.