Ischemic preconditioning (IPC), i.e., a preliminary brief episode of ischemia and reperfusion, has been shown to reduce the cell damage induced by long ischemia and reperfusion. Superoxide radical which is produced during reperfusion after ischemia was recongnized as a factor of the ischemic injury and it is dismutated into H2O2 and O2 by two types of intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD), Cu,Zn-SOD in cytoplasm and Mn-SOD in mitochondria. Recently oxygen free radicals are suggested to induce the apoptosis, however mechanism of the reduced apoptosis by ischemic precondition was unknown, while many studies performed in mammalian heart indicated that ATP-sensitive K+(K atp) channel activation related with the protective effects. The aim of present study is toinvestigate 1)whether IP upregulate the Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities, and 2)whether ischemic preconditioning decreases apoptosis via K atp channel activation in timely reperfused skeletal muscle after long ishemia. The experimental animals, Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250~300g, were divided into 8 group; 1)control group, 2)ischemic preconditioning only groups, 3)pinacidil, a K atp channel opener, treatment only groups, 4)glibenclamide, a K atp channel blocker, treatment only groups, 5)ischemia groups, 6)ischemia after IPC groups, 7)ischemia and pinacidil treatment groups, and 8)IP and ischemia after glibenclamide pretreatment groups. Animals of the control group were administered with the vehicle (DMSO) alone. Pinacidil (1mg/kg) was administred intravenously 5 minutes after initiation of ischemia, and glibenclamide(0.5mg/kg) was injected intravenously 20 minutes before IPC. In rats that were ischemic preconditioned, the left common iliac artery was occluded for 5 minutes followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion by three times usign vascular clamp. Ischemia was done by occlusion of the same artery for 4 hours. The specimens of left rectus femoris muscle were obtained immediately (0 hours), 12 hours, 24 horus after drug administrations, IP or ischemia and reperfusion. The immunoreactivities of SOD and its alterations were observed by use of sheep antihuman Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD antibodies onthe 10 micro meter cryosections. The incidencies of apoptosis were observed by TUNEL methods with in situ apoptosis detection kit on 6 micro meter paraffine section. The results obtained were as follows: 1. After IPC, immunoreactivities of Cu,Zn-SOD mainly in the small-sized fibers were increased by 24 hours, that of Mn-SOD at 0 hour and 24 hours. 2. No significant changes in immunoreactivities of SDO was observed in the pinacidil and in the glibenclamide treatment only groups, and in the ischemia only groups. 3. The immunoreactivities of the Cu,Zn-SOD were incresed in the ischemia after IPC groups and the ischemia and pinacidil treatment groups. 4. The immunoreactivities of the Cu,Zn-SOD in the IPC and ischemia after glibenclamide pretreantment groups were not increased except for the 12 hours reperfusion group. But, Mn-SOD immunoreactivities were incresed in to 0 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours after reperfusion. 5. In the control group, the IPC only groups, and the pinacidil treatment only groups, negative or trace apoptotic reactions were observed, but the positive apoptotic reaction occured in the glibenclamide treatment groups. 6. Moderate or many number of apoptosis were revealed in the ischemia groups, and also the IPC and ischemia after glibenclamide pretreatment group except for 12 hours and 24 hours after reperfusion. However, the incidence of apoptosis was decreased in the ischemia after IPC groups and in theischemia and pinacidil treatment groups. 7. There is a coincidence between the increase of Cu,Zn-SOD immunoreactivities and the decrease of apoptosis in thepresence of ischemia and reperfusion. These results suggest that the protective effects of ishemic preconditioing may related to the SOD activation, and the ischemic preconditioning decreases the apoptosis partially via K atp channel activation in timely reperfused rat skeletal muscle. It is also suggested that inhibition of apoptosis by IPC may related with the SOD activation.