NADPH-dependent reductases in dog thyroid: comparison of a third enzyme "glyceraldehyde reductase" to dog thyroid aldehyde reductase.

The increased incidence of thyroiditis reported to occur in diabetes has also been observed in long-term galactose-fed dogs where it is reduced by the administration of aldose reductase inhibitors. Since this suggests that thyroidal changes are linked to the abnormal accumulation of sugar alcohols (polyols), present studies were conducted to confirm the presence of aldose and aldehyde reductases in dog thyroid through isolation and characterization. Aldose and aldehyde reductases were isolated from dog thyroid by a series of chromatographic steps which included gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, affinity chromatography on Matrex Gel Orange A and chromatofocusing on Mono P. A third, labile NADPH-reductase was partially purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, affinity chromatography on Matrex Green A and hydroxylapatite chromatography on BIO-GEL HT. The kinetic properties of aldose and aldehyde reductases and their susceptibility to inhibition by aldose reductase inhibitors are similar to those of dog kidney aldose and aldehyde reductases. However, the levels of aldose reductase present in thyroid are extremely low compared to the levels of aldehyde reductase. A third NADPH-dependent reductase, tentatively identified as glyceraldehyde reductase, is also present in dog thyroid. This novel enzyme utilizes NADPH to reduce DL-glyceraldehyde and is clearly distinct from the other aldo-keto reductases in molecular weight, substrate specificity, inhibition by aldose reductase inhibitors and immunological properties. In summary aldose reductase, aldehyde reductase and a third novel glyceraldehyde reductase, all of which can utilize glyceraldehyde as substrate, have been identified and characterized in dog thyroid. Only aldose and aldehyde reductases, which can catalyze the production of polyols and were inhibited by aldose reductase inhibitors, appear to be linked to thyroiditis.