Final answer:
Sorbitol accumulates in cells in settings of hyperglycemia and is slowly converted to fructose, leading to cellular damage, particularly in individuals with diabetes. Proper management of blood sugar levels is crucial to prevent these complications.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sugar-alcohol that accumulates in cells in the setting of hyperglycemia, such as in diabetes, and normally gets slowly broken down into fructose, leading to increased oxidative stress and damage, is sorbitol. In people with diabetes, elevated blood glucose levels result in increased amounts of glucose entering the polyol pathway, where glucose is converted to sorbitol by the enzyme aldose reductase.
Sorbitol then slowly gets converted to fructose by sorbitol dehydrogenase. However, sorbitol cannot easily cross cellular membranes, and its accumulation can lead to cellular damage and diabeti complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, and cataracts. It is important to manage blood sugar levels in diabetes to prevent excessive sorbitol accumulation and related oxidative stress.