1. The effects of treatment with a number of cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors, (celecoxib, meloxicam, DuP-697 and aspirin) on ischaemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial dysfunction were examined using an in vitro perfused rabbit heart model. 2. Ischaemia resulted in myocardial dysfunction, as indicated by a significant increase in left ventricular end diastolic pressure and marked changes in coronary perfusion pressure and left ventricular developed pressure. In the post-ischaemic state, coronary perfusion pressure increased dramatically, left ventricular developed pressure recovered to a small degree and there were significant increases in creatinine kinase release (indicative of myocardial damage) and prostacyclin release. 3. Pretreatment with aspirin, or with drugs that selectively inhibit cyclo-oxygenase-2 (celecoxib, meloxicam and DuP-697), resulted in a concentration-dependent exacerbation of the myocardial dysfunction and damage. Exacerbation of myocardial dysfunction and damage was evident with 10 microM concentrations of the cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors, which inhibited prostacyclin release but did not affect cyclo-oxygenase-1 activity (as measured by whole blood thromboxane synthesis). 4. NCX-4016, a nitric oxide-releasing aspirin derivative, significantly reduced the myocardial dysfunction and damage caused by ischaemia and reperfusion. Beneficial effects were observed even at a concentration (100 microM) that significantly inhibited prostacyclin synthesis by the heart. 5. The results suggest that prostacyclin released by cardiac tissue in response to ischaemia and reperfusion is derived, at least in part, from cyclo-oxygenase-2. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 plays an important protective role in a setting of ischaemia-reperfusion of the heart.