Cardioprotective effects of mitochondrial KATP channels activated at different time

Backgroud Recent studies in adult hearts have indicated that KATP channels in the inner mitochondrial membrance are responsible for the protection. And we investigated whether opening of mitochondrial KATP channels (mKATP) could provide myocardial protection for immature rabbits and determined its role in cardioprotection.Methods Thirty-four 3-4-week-old rabbits, weighing 300-350 g, were divided randomly into five groups: Group Ⅰ (control group, n=8); Group Ⅱ [diazoxide preconditioning group; n=8; the hearts were pretreated with 100 μmol/L diazoxide for 5 minutes followed by 10-minute wash out with Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB)]; Group Ⅲ [diazoxide+5-hydroxydeconate (5-HD) preconditioning group; n=5; the hearts were pretreated with 100 μmol/L diazoxide and 100 μmol/L 5-HD); Group Ⅳ (diazoxide+cardioplegia group; n=8; cardioplegia containing 100 μmol/L diazoxide perfused the hearts for 5 minutes before ischemia); Group Ⅴ (diazoxide+5-HD+cardioplegia group; n=5; the cardioplegia contained 100 μmol/L diazoxide and 100 μmol/L 5-HD). All hearts were excised and connected to langend ?Zrff perfusion system and passively perfused with KHB at 38℃ under a pressure of 70 cmH2O. After reperfusion, the recovery rate of left ventricular diastolic pressure (LVDP), ±dp/dtmax, coronary flow (CF), the creatinine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in coronary sinus venous effluent and the tissue ATP were measured. Mitochondria were evaluated semiquantitatively by morphology.Results After ischemia and reperfusion (I/R), the two groups that were treated by diazoxide only (Groups Ⅱ and Ⅳ) had a significant improvement in LVDP, ±dp/dtmax, and CF recovery. AST, LDH, and CK were decreased, and the levels of tissue ATP in the two groups were higher. Mitochondria was protected better in Group Ⅳ than in other groups. Conclusions Activating mKATP channels before and during ischemia can similarly protect immature rabbit hearts, and the mechanism is related to the direct protecti