Ca2+ cytochemical changes of hepatotoxicity caused by halothane and sevoflurane in enzyme-induced hypoxic rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relation between hepatotoxicity of halothane and sevoflurane and altered hepatic calcium homeostasis in enzyme-induced hypoxic rats.


METHODS
Forty-eight rats were pretreated with phenobarbital and randomly divided into six groups (eight in each group) and exposed to O(2)/ N(2)/1.2 MAC anesthetics for 1 h: normal control (NC), 21% O(2)/79% N(2); hypoxic control (HC), 14% O(2)/86%N(2); normal sevoflurane (NS), 21% O(2)/ N(2)/1.2MAC sevoflurane; hypoxic sevoflurane (HS), 14% O(2)/ N(2)/1.2MAC sevoflurane; normal halothane (NH)21%O(2)/79%N(2)/1.2MAC halothane; hypoxic halothane (HH), 14% O(2)/N(2)/1.2MAC halothane. Liver specimens and blood were taken 24 h after exposure to calcium and determined by EDX microanalysis.


RESULTS
The liver of all rats given halothane (14% O(2)) had extensive centrilobular necrosis and denaturation. Morphologic damage was accompanied with an increase in serum glutamic pyruvic transminase. In groups NH and HH, more calcium was precipitated in cytoplasm and mitochondria.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that halothane increases cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration in hepatocytes. Elevation in Ca(2+) concentration is implicated in the mechanism of halothane-induced hepatotoxicity. sevoflurane is less effective in affecting hepatic calcium homeostasis than halothane.
Yu
Wei-Feng
WF
Department of Anesthesiology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China. yu1963@yahoo.com
Yang
Li-Qun
LQ
Zhou
Mai-Tao
MT
Liu
Zhi-Qiang
ZQ
Li
Quan
Q
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D006221:Halothane / Q000633:toxicity*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000633:toxicity*; D009336:Necrosis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077149:Sevoflurane
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D002118:Calcium; D006221:Halothane