Role of ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels in Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Induced Tissue Protection.

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is an innovative treatment strategy that alleviates ischemia-reperfusion injury, whereby short episodes of regional ischemia and reperfusion delivered to remote organs including hind limb, kidney and intestine, and so on provide protection to the heart. The RIPC is known to reduce infarct size, serum levels of cardiac enzymes, and myocardial dysfunction in various animal species as well as in patients. There have been a large number of studies suggesting that the ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K channel) play a significant role as a mediator or end effector in RIPC. The present review discusses the role of K channels and possible mechanisms in RIPC-induced cardioprotection.