Aim To investigate the effect of basic fibroblastgrowth factor (bFGF) on acute myocardial infarction(AMI) in rabbits.Methods The hearts of heathy male Japan big-earwhite rabbits were exposed through a left thoracoto-my, and the left anterior descending coronary arterywas ligated with a silk. Animals were divided intocontrol group, intravenously infused normal saline (2ml/kg) nitroglycerin (0. 2 g/kg), bFGF 1. 4 pg/kgand 7. 0 μg/kg, respectively, on operation say and onthe 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th day afer operation.We measured the areas of infarct myocardium with te-trazolium chloride and cardiac function by using physi-ological polygraphy, and determined ATP contents inmyocardium.Results Intravenous infusion of bFGF (1. 4 μg/kgand 7. 0 μg/kg) decreased the infarct size significantly(8. 1%±2. 7% and 8. 2%±2. 1% vs control 16. 5%±3. 2%, p<0. 05), Treatment with bFGF alsoincreased the ATP content in infarct myocardium (2. 9±0. 4 and 3. 2±0. 3 vs control 2. 3±0. 3 μmol/g, p<0. 01) and improved the left ventricular. All the effectof bFGF were better than those of nitroglycerin(p<0. 05).Conclusion bFGF may play a role both in stimu-lating recovery of ischemic myocardium and in improv-ing cardiac function in AMI rabbits.