Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy

Karan, Burak Mugdat; Little, Karis; Augustine, Josy; Stitt, Alan W.; Curtis, Tim M.

doi:10.3390/antiox12071466

Open AccessReview

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy

by

Burak Mugdat Karan

^†

,

Karis Little

^†,

Josy Augustine

^†

,

Alan W. Stitt

^*

and

Tim M. Curtis

^*

Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Antioxidants 2023, 12(7), 1466; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071466

Submission received: 27 June 2023 / Revised: 18 July 2023 / Accepted: 19 July 2023 / Published: 21 July 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Retinal Diseases Associated with Oxidative Stress: Advances in Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches)

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Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes mellitus that can lead to vision loss and blindness. It is driven by various biochemical processes and molecular mechanisms, including lipid peroxidation and disrupted aldehyde metabolism, which contributes to retinal tissue damage and the progression of the disease. The elimination and processing of aldehydes in the retina rely on the crucial role played by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and aldo-keto reductase (AKR) enzymes. This review article investigates the impact of oxidative stress, lipid-derived aldehydes, and advanced lipoxidation end products (ALEs) on the advancement of DR. It also provides an overview of the ALDH and AKR enzymes expressed in the retina, emphasizing their growing importance in DR. Understanding the relationship between aldehyde metabolism and DR could guide innovative therapeutic strategies to protect the retina and preserve vision in diabetic patients. This review, therefore, also explores various approaches, such as gene therapy and pharmacological compounds that have the potential to augment the expression and activity of ALDH and AKR enzymes, underscoring their potential as effective treatment options for DR.

Keywords: diabetic retinopathy; oxidative stress; lipid peroxidation; aldehyde dehydrogenase; aldo-keto reductase

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MDPI and ACS Style

Karan, B.M.; Little, K.; Augustine, J.; Stitt, A.W.; Curtis, T.M. Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 1466. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071466

AMA Style

Karan BM, Little K, Augustine J, Stitt AW, Curtis TM. Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy. Antioxidants. 2023; 12(7):1466. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071466

Chicago/Turabian Style

Karan, Burak Mugdat, Karis Little, Josy Augustine, Alan W. Stitt, and Tim M. Curtis. 2023. "Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy" Antioxidants 12, no. 7: 1466. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071466

APA Style

Karan, B. M., Little, K., Augustine, J., Stitt, A. W., & Curtis, T. M. (2023). Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy. Antioxidants, 12(7), 1466. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12071466

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Aldo-Keto Reductase Enzymes: Basic Concepts and Emerging Roles in Diabetic Retinopathy

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