Noble Gas Xenon Is a Novel Adenosine Triphosphate-sensitive Potassium Channel Opener

摘要

BackgroundAdenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels in brain are involved in neuroprotective mechanisms. Pharmacologic activation of these channels is seen as beneficial, but clinical exploitation by using classic K⁺ channel openers is hampered by their inability to cross the blood–brain barrier. This is different with the inhalational anesthetic xenon, which recently has been suggested to activate KATP channels; it partitions freely into the brain.