The Action of Diazoxide and Minoxidil Sulphate on Rat Blood Vessels: A Comparison with Cromakalim
July 1990
in “
British Journal of Pharmacology
”
TLDR Diazoxide, minoxidil sulphate, and cromakalim relax rat blood vessels by opening K+ channels, with some differences in their actions.
The study compared the effects of diazoxide, minoxidil sulphate, and cromakalim on rat blood vessels. All three agents exhibited K+ channel opening properties in vascular smooth muscle, leading to hyperpolarization and relaxation of the vessels. Diazoxide had an additional inhibitory action not related to the production of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP. Minoxidil sulphate had a smaller effect on 86Rb efflux and may primarily act on a K+ channel that is relatively impermeable to 86Rb. The study provides insight into the mechanisms of action of these antihypertensive agents on blood vessels.