(±)-Cromakalim is a prototypical activator of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, SUR2-Kir6, that displays anti-ischemic (EC25 = 8.9 μM) and cardioprotective (IC50 = 0.03 μM) effects in rat hearts. (±)-Cromakalim has also been shown to relax bladder smooth muscle in vitro. It has been used to investigate potassium channel biology and as a scaffold to develop increasingly selective K+ channel openers with clinical relevance.
