Molecular Mechanisms of the Inhibitory Effects of Bupivacaine, Levobupivacaine, and Ropivacaine on Sarcolemmal Adenosine Triphosphate–sensitive Potassium Channels in the Cardiovascular System

Abstract

Inhibitory effects of local anesthetics on KATP channels in the cardiovascular system are (1) stereoselective: bupivacaine was more potent than levobupivacaine and ropivacaine; and (2) tissue specific: local anesthetics blocked cardiac KATP channels more potently than vascular KATP channels, via the intracellular pore mouth of the Kir6.0 subunit and the 42 amino acids at the C-terminal tail of the SUR2A subunit, respectively.