EFFECTS OF GLIBENCLAMIDE, GLIMEPIRIDE, AND GLICLAZIDE ON ISCHEMIC PRECONDITIONING IN RAT HEART

Objective To compare the influence of different sulfonylureas on the myocardial protection effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in isolated rat hearts, and ATP-sensitive potassium channel current (IKATP) of rat ventricular myocytes. Methods Isolated Langendorff perfused rat hearts were randomly assigned to five groups: (1) control group, (2) IPC group, (3) IPC+glibenclamide (GLB, 10 μmol/L) group, (4) IPC+glimepiride (GLM, 10 μmol/L) group, (5) IPC+gliclazide (GLC, 50 μmol/L) group. IPC was defined as 3 cycles of 5-minute zero-flow global ischemia followed by 5-minute reperfusion. The haemodynamic parameters and the infarct size of each isolated heart were recorded. And the sarcolemmal IKATP of dissociated ventricular myocytes reperfused with 10 μmol/L GLB, 1 μmol/L GLM, and 1 μmol/L GLC was recorded with single-pipette whole-cell voltage clamp under simulated ischemic condition. Results The infarct sizes of rat hearts in IPC (23.7%±1.3%), IPC+GLM (24.6%±1.0%), and IPC+GLC (33.1%±1.3%) groups were all significantly smaller than that in control group (43.3%±1.8%; P<0.01, n=6). The infarct size of rat hearts in IPC+GLB group (40.4%±1.4%) was significantly larger than that in IPC group (P<0.01, n=6). Under simulated ischemic condition, GLB (10 μmol/L) decreased IKATP from 20.65±7.80 to 9.09±0.10 pA/pF (P<0.01, n=6), GLM (1 μmol/L) did not significantly inhibit IKATP (n=6), and GLC (1 μmol/L) decreased IKATP from 16.73±0.97 to 11.18±3.56 pA/pF(P<0.05, n=6). Conclusions GLM has less effect on myocardial protection of IPC than GLB and GLC. Blockage of sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive potassium channels in myocardium might play an important role in diminishing IPC-induced protection of GLM, GLB, and GLC.

Zacopride selectively activates the Kir2.1 channel via a PKA signaling pathway in rat cardiomyocytes

We recently reported that zacopride is a selective inward rectifier potassium current (IK1 ) channel agonist, suppressing ventricular arrhythmias without affecting atrial arrhythmias. The present study aimed to investigate the unique pharmacological properties of zacopride. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to study IK1 currents in rat atrial myocytes and Kir2.x currents in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells transfected with inward rectifier potassium channel (Kir)2.1, Kir2.2, Kir2.3, or mutated Kir2.1 (at phosphorylation site S425L). Western immunoblots were performed to estimate the relative protein expression levels of Kir2.x in rat atria and ventricles. Results showed that zacopride did not affect the IK1 and transmembrane potential of atrial myocytes. In HEK293 cells, zacopride increased Kir2.1 homomeric channels by 40.7%±9.7% at 50 mV, but did not affect Kir2.2 and Kir2.3 homomeric channels, and Kir2.1-Kir2.2, Kir2.1-Kir2.3 and Kir2.2-Kir2.3 heteromeric channels. Western immunoblots showed that similar levels of Kir2.3 protein were expressed in rat atria and ventricles, but atrial Kir2.1 protein level was only 25% of that measured in the ventricle. In addition, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 3 receptor was undetectable, whereas 5-HT 4 receptor was weakly expressed in HEK293 cells. The Kir2.1-activating effect of zacopride in these cells was abolished by inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA), but not PKC or PKG. Furthermore, zacopride did not activate the mutant Kir2.1 channel in HEK293 cells but selectively activated the Kir2.1 homomeric channel via a PKA-dependent pathway, independent to that of the 5-HT receptor.