Protective effect of nifedipine in the hypoxic perfused cat liver

The effects of the calcium antagonist nifedipine on isolated perfused cat livers were studied during 150 min of normoxic or hypoxic perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit solution. Hypoxic livers perfused with the nifedipine vehicle exhibited significantly higher increases in perfusion pressure, perfusate lactate dehydrogenase and cathepsin D activities, as well as amino-nitrogen concentrations compared to the control normoxic group. In contrast, the nifedipine + hypoxia group showed no significant difference in any of these variables from the control livers. Nifedipine (0.3 microgram/ml) protected the liver during hypoxia and that this protection may have stemmed from its inhibition of Ca++ influx which has been linked in irreversible cell death.