Volatile Anesthetics Mimic Cardiac Preconditioning by Priming the Activation of Mitochondrial KATPChannels via Multiple Signaling Pathways

Abstract

Using autofluorescence in live cell imaging microscopy and a simulated model of ischemia, the authors present evidence that volatile anesthetics mediate their protection in cardiomyocytes by selectively priming mitoK(ATP) channels through multiple triggering protein kinase C-coupled signaling pathways. These observations provide important new insight into the mechanisms of anesthetic-induced preconditioning.