ATP-sensitive potassium channels: Novel potential roles in Parkinson's disease

Abstract

The ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels which extensively distribute in diverse tissues (e.g. vascular smooth muscle, cardiac cells, and pancreas) are well-established for characteristics like vasodilatation, myocardial protection against ischemia, and insulin secretion. The aim of this review is to get insight into the novel roles of KATP channels in Parkinson's disease (PD), with consideration of the specificities K ATP channels in the central nervous system (CNS), such as the control of neuronal excitability, action potential, mitochondrial function and neurotransmitter release.