K+ATP-channel activation causes marked vasodilation in the hypertensive neonatal pig lung

We studied the potential role of ATP-sensitive potassium (K+ATP) channel activation in mediating pulmonary vasodilation in newborn piglets. Piglet lungs (n = 14, ages 1-4 days) were artificially perfused with recirculating Ringer solution containing bovine serum albumin and statistically inflated using 95% O2-5% CO2. We measured pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa) and distribution of pulmonary vascular resistance (using double-occlusion method). Under resting conditions (Ppa 13.7 +/- 1.6 cmH2O, mean +/- SE), the K+ATP channel agonist BRL 38227 (lemakalim, 10(-7) and 10(-6) M) caused small dose-dependent pulmonary vasodilation. This response was diminished by the K+ATP-channel blocker glibenclamide (10(-5) M). Pretreatment of lungs with indomethacin (10(-5) M) and N omega-nitro-L-arginine (10(-5) M) to inhibit cyclooxygenase- and nitric oxide (NO)-related vasodilation, respectively, resulted in a marked increase in the baseline Ppa to 85.6 +/- 11.2 cmH2O. Injection of BRL 38227 (10(-7) M and 10(-6) M) in these lungs decreased Ppa to 72.5 +/- 8.5 (P < 0.01) and 19.3 +/- 0.9 cmH2O (P < 0.01), respectively; the corresponding times for half-recovery of Ppa (t1/2R) were 5.7 +/- 4.3 and > 20 min. Glibenclamide (10(-5) M) abolished the response to 10(-7) M BRL 38227 and significantly diminished (P < 0.05) the decreases in Ppa and t1/2R in response to 10(-6) M BRL 38227 but not to acetylcholine (10(-10) M). We conclude that activation of K+ATP channels has a minimal role in maintaining basal pulmonary vasomotor tone but is able to induce marked vasodilation when NO and cyclooxygenase-dependent vasodilatory mechanisms are inhibited.