Pharmacological options to protect the aged heart from ischemia and reperfusion injury by targeting the PKA-BKCa signaling pathway

Activation of BKCa channels is critically involved in forskolin induced cardioprotection. The age-dependency of forskolin induced cardioprotection is not caused by age-dependent differences in PKA activation. Pharmacological targeting of BKCa channels before or after myocardial ischemia is a promising therapeutic strategy to protect the aged heart from ischemia and reperfusion injury.