To examine the effects of adenylate cyclase activation on epi-and endo-myocardial contraction and coronary blood flow (CoF) with or without ischemia, we measured coronary pressure (CoP), CoF by in-line electromagnetic flowmeter and epi-and endo-myocardial wall thickening (%EPWT & %ENWT by sonomicrometry) in 18 anesthetized dogs. Left circumflex coronary artery was servo-pump per fused with arterial blood. CoP was decreased stepwise from lOOmmHg to 40mmHg. Under the infusion of low dose forskolin derivative, NKH477 (F) (10^<-9>M/kg/min), CoF was not augmented at CoP=40mmHg, %ENWT tended to increase (6±7 vs. 12±7 %, n.s.) and the decremental rate of ENWT against CoP was significantly attenuated compared with control condition (0.74±0. 15 vs. 0.44±0.18, p<0.05), while that of %EPWT was not significantly attenuated. With the infusion of high dose F (10-8M/kg/min), both %EPWT and %ENWT were not significantly changed (%EPWT: 15±6 vs. 12±3%