Glucagon-like peptide-1 derived cardioprotection does not utilize a KATP-channel dependent pathway: mechanistic insights from human supply and demand ischemia studies

Background Glucagon-like peptide-1 (7–36) amide (GLP-1) protects against stunning and cumulative left ventricular dysfunction in humans. The mechanism remains uncertain but GLP-1 may act by opening mitochondrial K-ATP channels in a similar fashion to ischemic conditioning. We investigated whether blockade of K-ATP channels with glibenclamide abrogated the protective effect of GLP-1 in humans.