Glibenclamide, an ATP-Sensitive K + Channel Blocker, Inhibits Cardiac cAMP-Activated Cl Conductance

Abstract
Stimulation of the β-adrenoceptor activates a time-independent Cl conductance that is known to be regulated via phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Since epithelial cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl channels are known to be sensitive to an antidiabetic sulfonylurea, glibenclamide, we tested whether the drug modulates cardiac cAMP-activated Cl conductance. Bath application of isoproterenol (1 μmol/L, n=11) or forskolin (1 μmol/L, n=17) or the intracellular application of cAMP (1 mmol/L, n=9) activated whole-cell Cl currents recorded from single myocytes at 36°C. External glibenclamide (≥10 μmol/L, n=26) inhibited the Cl current induced by either of the stimulants in a concentration-dependent manner. The half-maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) of glibenclamide and the Hill coefficient were 24.5 to 37.9 μmol/L and 1.6 to 2.2, respectively. During current-clamp experiments, forskolin was found to shorten the action potential significantly (250±45 to 201±52 milliseconds, P<.05) in 7 of 11 cells tested. Glibenclamide antagonized the forskolin-induced shortening (to 243±54 milliseconds, n=7, P<.05). Intracellular administration of sodium orthovanadate (0.5 to ≈1 mmol/L, n=6) brought about persistent activation of Cl current after brief bath application of forskolin. This Cl current was not affected by H-89 (100 μmol/L, n=3), a specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and was suppressed by glibenclamide similarly, with an IC50 of 29.7 μmol/L. Thus, it is concluded that glibenclamide inhibits cardiac cAMP-activated Cl channels at some step(s) downstream from the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation process.