Critical timing of mitochondrial K(ATP) channel opening for enhancement of myocardial tolerance against infarction.

Abstract

The present study was designed to assess the relationship between the timing of a mitoK(ATP) channel opener, diazoxide, and its infarct size-limiting effect. In isolated rabbit hearts, infarction was induced by 30 min of global ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion, and infarct size was determined by tetrazolium staining and expressed as a percentage of the left ventricle (%IS/LV). Diazoxide, a mitoK(ATP) channel selective opener, and/or 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), a mitoK(ATP) channel blocker, were infused before or after the onset of ischemia. When these agents were infused during the ischemic period, they were dissolved in a hypoxic buffer at concentrations 10-fold higher than those in the pre-ischemic period, and the infusion rate was set at 2% of the pre-ischemic coronary flow. In untreated controls, %IS/LV was 53.2+/-4.1 (SE). Pretreatment with diazoxide (100 microM) with a 10-min washout period reduced %IS/LV to 7.8+/-2.4 and this protection was abolished by co-infusion of 5-HD (50 microM). Pre-ischemic infusion of diazoxide without a washout period reduced %IS/LV to 7.3+/-1.4, and infusion of diazoxide from 10 min after the onset of ischemia also limited %IS/LV to 14.9+/-4.6. However, diazoxide infusion from 25 min after the onset of ischemia failed to reduce infarct size (%IS/LV = 54.5+/-7.2). Furthermore, pretreatment with 5-HD (50 microM) also completely abolished the protection afforded by early post-ischemic diazoxide infusion (%IS/LV = 48.3+/-6.5). Neither infusion of 5-HD nor the anoxic vehicle alone during ischemia modified %IS/LV. These findings suggest that opening of mitoK(ATP) channels before ischemia and during early ischemia, but not that upon reperfusion, is important for enhancement of myocardial tolerance against infarction.