INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF PINACIDIL ON APOPTOSIS OF PRIMARY CULTURED CORTICAL NEURONS INDUCED BY HYPOXIA-HYPOGLYCEMIA

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.