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KATP Channel

Meaning

The KATP Channel, or ATP-sensitive potassium channel, is a crucial ion channel complex embedded in the plasma membrane of various excitable and non-excitable cells, including pancreatic beta-cells, cardiac myocytes, and specific neurons. This channel functions as a direct, real-time metabolic sensor, intimately coupling the cell’s internal energy status, precisely represented by the ratio of ATP to ADP, to its electrical activity and subsequent function. It plays a central, non-negotiable role in regulating the secretion of insulin and in protecting the heart from the damaging effects of ischemic stress.