Previously, we identified the presence of a circulating shock protein (CSP) in the plasma of hemorrhaged rats that depolarizes a variety of cells in vitro. In isolated perfused rat hearts, partially purified CSP produced dose-dependent decreases in contractility and heart rate associated with an increase in coronary perfusion pressure (CPP). Electrical pacing failed to prevent the negative inotropic effects. Preventing the coronary vasoconstriction with nitroglycerin or attenuating it with a cyclooxygenase inhibitor also failed to prevent the inotropic or chronotropic effects of CSP. Carbocyclic thromboxane A2(50 ng/min) caused a similar increase in CPP to CSP but had no effect on contractility or rate during the first minute of infusion. These data indicate that the protein that appears in rat plasma after hemorrhage produces negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on the isolated heart that are independent of changes in CPP. Vasoactive arachidonic acid metabolites elicited by CSP are partially responsible for the increase in coronary vascular resistance.