Effect of calcium and diltiazem on phenylhydrazine-induced oxidative injury in goat erythrocytes

Lipid peroxidation, hemolysis and thiol contents were studied in intact goat erythrocytes exposed to phenylhydrazine. An increase in lipid peroxidation, hemolysis and thiol content was observed after phenylhydrazine treatment of erythrocyte. Extracellular Ca potentiates the phenylhydrazine-induced lipid peroxidation and hemolysis of erythrocytes significantly. Ca does not influence much the thiol content of phenylhydrazine treated erythrocytes. No effect of Ca on control lipid peroxidation, hemolysis and thiol contents of erythrocytes was observed. Diltiazem and EDTA inhibited the increased responses of lipid peroxidation and hemolysis due to Ca. However the thiol content was not much influenced by either diltiazem or EDTA. The results suggest that oxidative damage of erythrocyte caused by phenyl hydrazine could be prevented by calcium channel antagonist, diltiazem, which may act as antioxidant also.