Galactose cataract prevention with sorbinil, an aldose reductase inhibitor: a light microscopic study.

Cataract formation in galactosemic rats was studied by ophthalmoscopy, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and by light microscopy using plastic embedding with methacrylate. Untreated rats developed nuclear cataracts by 14 days and mature cataracts by 21 days. However, rats treated with the aldose reductase inhibitor sorbinil did not develop any cataractous change for up to 8 months of 50% galactose feeding and could not be distinguished from normal controls. This strongly suggests that aldose reductase is the common factor involved in the formation of sugar cataracts.