Inhibition of calcium influx during hypoxia/reoxygenation in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

Calcium has been demonstrated to play an important role in hepatocyte damag e during ischemia/reperfusion phases. Calcium influx was determined in prim ary cultured rat hepatocytes submitted to a succession of warm hypoxia and reoxygenation phases in the presence of diltiazem, gallopamil and a Na+/ H antiport inhibitor, HOE-694:. Only diltiazem significantly inhibited calci um influx with higher potency after reoxygenation than after hypoxia only, suggesting a complex mechanism of action of diltiazem which could act on di fferent physiological functions involved in Ca2+ invasion of hepatocytes af ter hypoxic insult.