The use of mammalian cell lines to investigate the role of aldo-keto reductases in the detoxication of aldehydes and ketones

Aldehydes and ketones are present in wide range of compounds including drugs, food and environmental pollutants. To study their effects on biological systems, a range of appropriate cell-based assays can be used, which investigate the nature of damage caused. The role of aldo-keto reductases in protecting against these toxic effects has been assessed in a variety of experimental systems, including cell lines that naturally express high levels of aldo-keto reductase enzymes, and constructed cell lines that express individual components of a particular detoxication pathway.