In isolated perfused rat hearts with coronary occlusion and reperfusion, the effect of adenosine antagonists on the release of adenosine and its degradation products inosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid was investigated. An antagonist with high selectivity for the A⇓ receptor, 8-phenyltheophylline, was applied and compared with the relatively unspecific antagonist theophylline, used in its water-soluble form aminophylline. Depending on the duration of coronary occlusion, more or less severe tachyarrhythmias occurred during the myocardial ischemia, and particularly during the subsequent coronary reperfusion. Large amounts of the nucleosides and oxypurines were released after reopening the coronary artery. The release was particularly high in hearts with ventricular fibrillation. Both adenosine antagonists increased the release in a highly significant way. The findings let assume that adenosine has perhaps a modulating effect on its own release, which can be blocked by adenosine antagonists.