Differential block by troglitazone and rosiglitazone of glibenclamide-sensitive K(+) current in rat aorta myocytes

Thiazolidinediones are insulin-sensitising agents effective in controlling type II diabetes. These compounds also cause vasodilation. We evaluated the effects of the thiazolidinediones troglitazone and rosiglitazone on the glibenclamide-sensitive K(+) current in freshly isolated rat aorta myocytes. Troglitazone inhibited this current in a concentration-dependent manner (IC(50) approximately 1 microM). Rosiglitazone had a similar, but much less potent (IC(50) approximately 20 microM) action. Block of the glibenclamide-sensitive K(+) channels, in particular by troglitazone, may potentially affect the response of arteries to hypoxia and to certain endogenous and exogenous vasodilators.