In a study using alpha lipoic acid which, as well as being an antioxidant is an aldose reductase inhibitor, we took 30 dogs recently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus but without lens opacification and randomly assigned them either to an OcuGLOTM treatment group or a placebo group, the observer and dog owner masked to the nature of the treatment. The gene discussed is AKR1B1; the disease is diabetes mellitus.