title: Bioenergetic consequences of opening the ATP-sensitive K(+) channel of heart mitochondria.
abstract: There is an emerging consensus that pharmacological opening of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channel protects the heart against ischemia-reperfusion damage; however, there are widely divergent views on the effects of openers on isolated heart mitochondria. We have examined the effects of diazoxide and pinacidil on the bioenergetic properties of rat heart mitochondria. As expected of hydrophobic compounds, these drugs have toxic, as well as pharmacological, effects on mitochondria. Both drugs inhibit respiration and increase membrane proton permeability as a function of concentration, causing a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and a consequent decrease in Ca(2+) uptake, but these effects are not caused by opening mitochondrial K(ATP) channels. In pharmacological doses (<50 microM), both drugs open mitochondrial K(ATP) channels, and resulting changes in membrane potential and respiration are minimal. The increased K(+) influx associated with mitochondrial K(ATP) channel opening is approximately 30 nmol. min(-1). mg(-1), a very low rate that will depolarize by only 1-2 mV. However, this increase in K(+) influx causes a significant increase in matrix volume. The volume increase is sufficient to reverse matrix contraction caused by oxidative phosphorylation and can be observed even when respiration is inhibited and the membrane potential is supported by ATP hydrolysis, conditions expected during ischemia. Thus opening mitochondrial K(ATP) channels has little direct effect on respiration, membrane potential, or Ca(2+) uptake but has important effects on matrix and intermembrane space volumes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Beaverton, Oregon 97006-8921, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kowaltowski
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seetharaman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paucek
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Garlid
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000838:Anions / Q000378:metabolism; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003981:Diazoxide / Q000633:toxicity; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020110:Pinacidil / Q000633:toxicity; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D015221:Potassium Channels; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D020110:Pinacidil; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D019802:Succinic Acid; D003981:Diazoxide; D011188:Potassium