This study was undertaken to investigate whether adenosine administered during cardioplegic arrest could enhance myocardial protection and improve recovery of function after ischemia. Isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subjected to 40 minutes of normothermic [37oC] ischemia. Control hearts [n=10] received modified St. Thomas’ cardioplegic solution, and the remaining hearts received modified St. Thomas’ cardioplegic solution with either 20 ulcornerM [n=10], 200 ulcornerM [n=10] adenosine. After ischemia of 40 minutes and 30 minutes of reperfusion, left ventricular contractility was superior in all groups of adenosine-treated hearts compared with control hearts. Furthermore, there was a significant incremental increase in functional recovery with increasing dose of adenosine. Post-ischemic diastolic stiffness was significantly better in all adenosine groups compared with controls. No differences were noted in coronary flow or myocardial water content between adenosine-treated and control hearts. These data demonstrate that adenosine administered in these concentrations provides myocardial protection, preservation of myocardial ATP and creatine phosphokinase and improved post-ischemic functional hemodynamic recovery after normothermic ischemia, presumably metabolically by reducing depletion of adenosine triphosphate, inducing rapid cardiac arrest and enabling improved post-ischemic recovery.