Effects of sorbinil treatment in rats with chronic streptozotocin-diabetes; changes in lens and in substance P and catecholamines in the iris

This study was performed on male Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus of 11 months duration. There were two diabetic groups; both were given a long-acting insulin twice weekly to reduce morbidity. One group received no additional treatment whilst the other was given the aldose reductase inhibitor, sorbinil, by dietary admixture (approximate dose was 30 mg/day/kg body weight). At the end of the protocol the lenses of the diabetic rats giver insulin alone showed markedly reduced dry weight (70% of controls; p