Liver calcium homeostasis modification by iron: a probable factor in its carcinogenesis.

Low molecular weight iron complexes, ferric lactate and ferric-ATP complex, induce an important increase of Ca(2+)-uptake by liver. The activity of ferric lactate increased by the presence of sodium ATP, and the steady high effect of ferric-ATP complex appear to indicate that ATP might play an important role in the in vivo formation of low molecular weight iron complexes that can induce the modification of the hepatocytes calcium homeostasis, the event that might be one of the factors triggering the malignant transformation.