K ATP channels in the vasculature composed of Kir6.1 regulate vascular tone and may contribute to the pathogenesis of endotoxemia. We used mice with cell-specific deletion of Kir6.1 in smooth muscle (smKO) and endothelium (eKO) to investigate this question. We found that smKO mice had a significant survival disadvantage compared with their littermate controls when treated with a sub-lethal dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). All...