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Bradshaw et al. Vessel Plus 2023;7:35 Vessel Plus
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1209.2023.121

Review Open Access

Exploitation of K channels for cardiac surgery
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AlleaBelle Bradshaw 1 , Jennifer S. Lawton 2
1
Department of Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
2
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Correspondence to: Jennifer S. Lawton, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine, 1800 Orleans St., Zayed 7107, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. E-mail: jlawton4@jhmi.edu
How to cite this article: Bradshaw A, Lawton JS. Exploitation of K ATP channels for cardiac surgery. Vessel Plus 2023;7:35. https://
dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1209.2023.121

Received: 4 Sep 2023 First Decision: 28 Nov 2023 Revised: 12 Dec 2023 Accepted: 21 Dec 2023 Published: 28 Dec 2023
Academic Editor: Christopher Lau Copy Editor: Fangyuan Liu Production Editor: Fangyuan Liu

Abstract
The many ways in which ATP-sensitive potassium (K ) channels can be exploited for human benefit have
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expanded over recent decades. Especially since the early 2000s, research has improved our understanding of the
components and mechanisms of K channels. They have the potential to have a prominent role in cardiac surgery.
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Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic activation of K channels has been shown to be both cardioprotective and
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neuroprotective in early basic science and clinical studies. However, many questions remain unanswered and
require further study, necessitating further basic science work and large human clinical trials. This review discusses
the history and recent progress in the research relating to the use of K channels for cardiac surgery.
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Keywords: K channels, cardioprotection, neuroprotection, cardiac surgery, diazoxide
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INTRODUCTION
ATP-sensitive potassium (K ) channels are present in many different tissues in humans, including cardiac
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muscle , vascular smooth muscle , lymphatics , liver , and pancreas . These channels are clinically
[8,9]
[2,3]
[1]
[6,7]
[4,5]
important because malfunction can lead to a variety of pathologies , and because they are pharmacologic
[10]
targets of therapeutics [11,12] . Agents targeting these channels are already used to treat and even cure some
diseases (neonatal diabetes and congenital hyperinsulinism are effectively treated with K channel
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inhibitors and K channel openers, respectively) [13,14] , yet there is potential for further exploitation of K
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channels to benefit patients . The goal of studying these channels is to gain information that will allow the
[15]
development of new pharmacologic agents aimed at improving cardiac and neurologic outcomes after
cardiac surgery.
© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made.

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