The effect of ruthenium red during Ca2+ depletion and repletion in the isolated perfused rat liver.

Perfusion of rat liver with Ca(2+)-depleted buffer induces oxidative stress and liver damage, which can be prevented by Ca2+ repletion (Okuda et al. J Lab Clin Med). In the present study, we investigated the action of ruthenium red on acute Ca2+ loading after Ca2+ depletion in the isolated perfused rat liver. The major findings of this study are that 1) Ca2+ depletion-induced liver damage was related to mitochondrial disfunction; 2) ruthenium red inhibited the oxidative stress and liver damage normally seen during Ca2+ depletion; 3) ruthenium red inhibited the Ca2+ depletion-induced mitochondrial disfunction. These observations suggest that mitochondrial Ca2+ cycling is responsible for Ca2+ depletion-induced oxidative stress and liver damage.