Effect of glimepiride and glibenclamide, inhibitors of ATP-dependent K(+)-channel, on ischaemia-reperfusion induced arrhythmias in rats.

Glibenclamide or glimepiride pretreatment (5 mg/kg i.p. 30 min prior to coronary ligation) significantly improved the survival rate during reperfusion after 6 min myocardial ischaemia in rats (82% or 67% vs. 17% in controls). Smaller dose of glibenclamide (0.01 mg/kg) did not influence the survival rate (31%), while glimepiride still offered a significant protection (61%). These results suggest that different KATP inhibitors may increase the chance to survive life-threatening arrhythmias during myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion.