Modulation of the calcium-activated BK-channel of the inner mitochondrial membrane by hypoxia

It is known from stroke that hypoxia has dramatic effects on neuronal energy metabolism and on cell survival. It was unknown, however, whether the mitochondrial ion channels are susceptible to hypoxia though they are involved in ischemic preconditioning and in the intrinsic cascade of apoptotic cell death. Therefore, we studied the effect of hypoxia on several parameters of the current through the Ca2+ -activated potassium channel (BK) from inner mitochondrial membrane of human glioblastom cells (LN229) and of embryonic rat astrocytes. We prepared vesicles of inner mitochondrial membrane (mitoplasts) by hypotoni…