KATP channels in pig and human intracranial arteries

Clinical trials suggest that synthetic ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel openers may cause headache and migraine by dilating cerebral and meningeal arteries. We studied the mRNA expression profile of KATP channel subunits in the pig and human middle meningeal artery (MMA) and in the pig middle cerebral artery (MCA). We determined the order of potency of four KATP channel openers when applied to isolated pig MMA and MCA, and we examined the potential inhibitory effects of the Kir6.1 subunit specific KATP channel blocker PNU-37883A on KATP channel opener-induced relaxation of the isolated pig MMA and MCA.