X-ray diffraction data (Ag Ka and Mo Net radiation) have been collected at 74 K on dimanganese decacarbonyl Mn2(CO)I 0, and the crystal structure was refined. The atomic positional and thermal parameters were determined from high-angle AgKa data to avoid systematic errors due to bonding effects. The molecular geometry is discussed. The distortions are larger than at room temperature: for example, the torsion angle of the two Mn(CO) 5 fragments is 50.2 °, compared to 47.4 ° at room temperature, and 45 ° for an ideal D4a symmetry. 'X-X' deformation-density maps were computed and averaged over chemically equivalent sites. No significant charge-density accumulation is observed on the Mn-Mn bond. The configuration around the Mn atoms is essentially octahedral, with about 75% of the 3d electrons in the diagonal orbitals (dxy,d~z,dy ~) and the remaining 25% in d: and dx2_/. Atomic charges were determined both by direct integration and by least-squares refinement. Directly integrated charges are very small. Mn seems slightly negative. Both methods of charge integration show a clear difference between axial and equatorial carbonyls, which is confirmed by comparing their electron density with that of free carbon monoxide: the differences are characteristic of a a-bonding n-backbonding mechanism, and are larger for the axial carbonyls than for the equatorial carbonyls. This confirms the stronger bonding of the axial carbonyls, also responsible for the longer C-O bond and the shorter Mn-C bond.

Recent efforts to identify treatments for chronic diabetic complications have resulted in the discovery of a novel series of highly potent and selective 3-[(benzothiazol-2-yl)methyl]indole-N-alkanoic acid aldose reductase inhibitors. The lead candidate, 3-[(4,5,7-trifluorobenzothiazol-2-yl)methyl]indole-N-acetic acid (lidorestat, 9) inhibits aldose reductase with an IC(50) of 5 nM, while being 5400 times less active against aldehyde reductase, a related enzyme involved in the detoxification of reactive aldehydes. It lowers nerve and lens sorbitol levels with ED(50)'s of 1.9 and 4.5 mg/kg/d po, respectively, in the 5-day STZ-induced diabetic rat model. In a 3-month diabetic intervention model (1 month of diabetes followed by 2 months of drug treatment at 5 mg/kg/d po), it normalizes polyols and reduces the motor nerve conduction velocity deficit by 59% relative to diabetic controls. It has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile (F, 82%; t(1/2), 5.6 h; Vd, 0.694 L/kg) with good drug penetration in target tissues (C(max) in sciatic nerve and eye are 2.36 and 1.45 mug equiv/g, respectively, when dosed with [(14)C]lidorestat at 10 mg/kg po).

# 1999 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Denmark ± all rights reserved As the action of human aldose reductase (hAR) is thought to be linked to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, much effort has been directed towards the analysis of the catalytic mechanism and the development of speci®c inhibitors. Here, the crystallization of recombinant hAR with its cofactor NADP + at 277 K in the presence of the precipitating agent PEG 6000 is reported. The crystals diffract to high resolution (1.1 A Ê ) and belong to the P2 1 space group with unit-cell parameters a = 49.97, b = 67.14, c = 48.02 A Ê , = 92.2 with one molecule per asymmetric unit. Seleno-substituted hAR crystals were also produced and diffract to 1.7 A Ê on a conventional X-ray source.