Prevention of naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol-induced lens protein modifications by structurally diverse aldose reductase inhibitors

The effects of aldose reductase inhibitors on lens protein modifications induced by naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol were investigated in vitro to confirm the role of aldose reductase on naphthalene cataract formation. HPLC analysis of naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol incubated with aldose reductase and NAD⁺ indicated the formation of a metabolite peak corresponding to 1,2- naphthoquinone. Soluble proteins from rat lenses prepared by gel filtration of crude lens extracts through Sephadex PD-10, incubated with naphthalene- 1,2-dihydrodiol in the presence of NAD⁺ displayed an absorbance ca 450 nm and their spectra were essentially identical to those of 1,2-naphthoquinone- protein adducts. Similar spectra were also obtained from proteins isolated from the intact rat lens after in vitro incubation in medium containing naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol. The spectra obtained from lens proteins incubated with 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene were distinct from those of either naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol or 1,2-naphthoquinone. Aldose reductase inhibitors possessing either hydantoin or carboxylic acid groups prevented protein modification induced by naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol but not protein modification induced by 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene or 1,2-naphthoquinone. Therefore, the metabolite formed from naphthalene-1,2-dihydrodiol by aldose reductase is 1,2-naphthoquinone. Lens proteins modified by naphthalene-1,2- dihydrodiol appear essentially identical to protein adducts formed with 1,2- naphthoquinone and their formation can be prevented by both hydantoin and carboxylic acid containing aldose reductase inhibitors.