title: Pharmacological analysis in rat of the role of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel as a potential target for antifibrillatory intervention in acute myocardial ischaemia.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that blockade of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel (IK(ATP)) is an antiarrhythmic mechanism in acute myocardial ischaemia, using an opener of the channel (10 microM RP 49356, RP) and a blocker of the channel (10 microM glibenclamide, GL) and a combination of the two drugs (GL+RP, 10 microM each) in a randomised blinded study. Isolated rat hearts (n = 8 per group) were subjected to 30-min left regional ischaemia. GL and GL+RP widened QT interval after 10-min ischaemia (197 +/- 39 and 203 +/- 20 ms, respectively vs. 154 +/- 12 ms in controls), whereas RP significantly shortened QT interval (123 +/- 6 ms). GL and GL+RP decreased coronary flow (p < 0.05). RP caused slight increase in flow during ischaemia. These effects are all consistent with modulation of vascular and cardiac IK(ATP). RP alone had no effect on ischaemia-induced arrhythmias. Neither did GL have any effect on the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF: 88 vs. 100% in controls). However, GL reduced the incidence of sustained VF (VF lasting continuously for > 2 min) to 14% vs. 88% in controls (p < 0.05). Therefore, GL had defibrillatory activity. Surprisingly, in view of these findings, the GL+RP combination significantly reduced the incidence of VF to 25% (from 100% in control hearts, p < 0.05) i.e., had an antifibrillatory effect. So, two agents that produce pharmacological effects attributable to block and opening of IK(ATP) when administered singly had no effects on the incidence of ischaemia-induced VF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005905:Glyburide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010847:Picolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011714:Pyrans / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D010847:Picolines; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011714:Pyrans; C061043:aprikalim; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D005905:Glyburide