Ischemic liver cell damage and calcium accumulation in rats.
Regions of calcium accumulation were studied by 45Ca-autoradiography and microdensitometry during liver ischemia and reperfusion in rats. In autoradiographic studies 45Ca accumulated in all zones of the liver lobuli after 1-2 h of liver ischemia and 1, 3 and 6 h of reperfusion, but did not accumulate in non-ischemic liver lobes. Significant 45Ca accumulation occurred only with reperfusion after 1 or 2 h of liver ischemia. In the presence of reperfusion, 45Ca accumulation correlated with the length of ischemia. In histopathologic studies, liver necrosis was absent in lobuli after 1-h reperfusion. Some liver necrosis was observed in the group reperfused for 3 h and widespread liver necrosis appeared after 6-h reperfusion. Regions of 45Ca accumulation coincided with sites of microscopic liver cell damage and necrosis. These results suggested that calcium accumulation might be responsible for the liver cell damage induced by ischemia with reperfusion, that the intensity of calcium accumulation in 45Ca-autoradiograms indicates the degree of ischemia damage, and that the primary event leading to hepatocellular necrosis might be calcium accumulation and subsequent liver cell death.
Kurita
K
K
First Department of Surgery, University of Kagoshima, School of Medicine, Japan.
Tanabe
G
G
Aikou
T
T
Shimazu
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002132:Calcium Radioisotopes; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002132:Calcium Radioisotopes; D002118:Calcium