Glyburide blocks the relaxation response to BRL 34915 (cromakalim), minoxidil sulfate and diazoxide in vascular smooth muscle.

BRL 34915 [6-cyano-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-trans-4-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidyl) 2H-benzo(b) pyran-3-ol], minoxidil sulfate and diazoxide may relax vascular smooth muscle via hyperpolarization due to an opening of membrane potassium channels. We therefore examined the effects of several potassium channel antagonists on the relaxation response to these vasodilators in isolated rat portal venous strips which were mounted in vitro for detecting changes in isometric force. BRL 34915 (IC50 = 4.7 X 10(-8) M), minoxidil sulfate (IC50 = 1.4 X 10(-7) M) and diazoxide (IC50 = 5 X 10(-6) M) elicited concentration-dependent relaxations of the spontaneous, myogenic contractions in venous strips. The relatively nonselective potassium channel antagonists tetraethylammonium ion (0.3-10 X 10(-3) M) and 4-aminopyridine (1-10 X 10(-3) M) caused concentration-dependent shifts (5- to 50-fold) in the relaxation responses to each vasodilator. Charybdotoxin (up to 10(-7) M) and apamin (up to 10(-7) M), known to be antagonists of high and low conductance calcium-activated potassium channels, respectively, had no inhibitory effect on the relaxation-response curves to BRL 34915, minoxidil sulfate or diazoxide. Glyburide (10(-7) to 3 X 10(-5) M), a sulfonylurea which has been shown to block the ATP-modulated potassium channel in insulin-secreting cells, caused concentration-dependent shifts to the right (up to 100-fold) of the IC50 value for BRL 34915 and diazoxide, and at 10(-6) M, abolished the relaxation response to minoxidil sulfate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)