Prevention of apoptosis reperfusion renal injury by calcium channel blockers.

Apoptosis has been shown in the literature to be the form of cell death occurring in renal tubular epithelial cells during the reperfusion phase after brief periods of renal ischaemia. In the present study apoptosis was examined in the rat kidney in the first 24 hours after 30 min ischaemia and apoptosis was influenced by administration of the Ca channel blockers Verapamil, Bepridil, Nifedipin and Sensit. Apoptosis was observed in the renal tubular cells two hours after the start of reperfusion and reached in maximum at hour 6. All above mentioned Ca channel blockers decreased the occurrence and degree of apoptosis.