['Transplanted cell survival might greatly improve the therapeutic efficacy of cell therapy. Diazoxide (DZ), a highly selective mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, is known to suppress cell apoptosis and protect cells in oxidative stressed ischemic environment. We explored the mechanisms involved in DZ pre-treatment-induced anti-apoptotic effect on L6 skeletal myoblast (SKM).', 'L6 SKMs were divided into control group, H2O2 group, DZ\xa0+\xa0H2O2 group and DZ\xa0+\xa0LY\xa0+\xa0H2O2 group. Treatments of 400\xa0μmol/L H2O2 for 24\xa0h alone, or after 200\xa0μmol/L DZ pre-treatment for 30\xa0min, or after DZ and 50\xa0μmol/L LY294002 co-administration for 30\xa0min were performed. The cell apoptosis rates were assessed by flow cytometric analysis. The changes of mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by JC-1 mitochondrial staining. The activation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt, caspase-9 and caspase-3 was detected by western blot.', 'Compared with the H2O2 group, DZ pre-treatment protected cells from H2O2-induced damage, increased Akt phosphorylation, prevented mitochondrial membrane depolarization as well as the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and decreased the cell apoptosis rate. However, the DZ-induced cytoprotective and anti-apoptosis effects were partly inhibited by co-administration of a PI3K inhibitor, LY294002.'] Does diazoxide protect L6 skeletal myoblasts from H2O2-induced apoptosis via the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt pathway?