Toxic injury to isolated hepatocytes is not dependent on extracellular calcium.

Freshly isolated hepatocytes from phenobarbital-treated rats were incubated in the presence or absence of extracellular calcium with three differently acting liver cell toxins, namely carbon tetrachloride, bromobenzene, and ethylmethanesulfonate. In the absence of extracellular calcium these three compounds were far more toxic to the cells than in its presence. This result is inconsistent with the hypothesis that an influx of extracellular calcium is required as the final step in toxic liver cell injury.