Abstract:
AIM To investigate the effects of ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K
ATP) opener pinacidil (Pin) on apoptosis of primary cultured cortical neurons induced by hypoxia-hypoglycemia and reoxygenation. METHODS Apoptosis was measured using electron microscope and flow cytometric analysis technique. RESULTS Hypoxia-hypoglycemia and reoxygenation was shown to induce apoptosis of cortical neurons in primary culture. Pin (10
-5, 10
-6, 10
-7mol·L
-1) was found to decrease the percent of apoptosis. Pin (10
-5mol·L
-1) was found to improve ultrastructural features of apoptosis of cortical neurons induced by hypoxia-hypoglycemia and reoxygenation. These effects were reversed by glibenclamide (Gli), the specific antagonist of K
ATP. CONCLUSION Pin showed inhibitory effects on apoptosis of cortical neurons induced by hypoxia-hypoglycemia and reoxygenation.These results indicate that K
ATP plays important role in regulating the process of apoptosis.