OBJECTIVE:To observe the changes of lipid oxidation and polyol pathway metabolism of rat erythrocytes cultured in high glucose medium and intervention effect of metformin.METHODS:Rat erythrocytes were cultured in high glucose medium and the content of sorbitol in erythrocytes and the content of NO in culture medium were determined.The effect of metformin at different concentrations(2?10-5 mol?L-1,4?10-6 mol?L-1,8?10-7 mol?L-1)on the level of sorbitol and NO were studied with rat erythrocytes cultured in low glucose medium as normal control.RESULTS:Compared with normal control group,the level of sorbitol in high glucose group was increased while the content of NO was decreased(P