This study was performed to assess the effect of allopurinol in a canine preparation of myocardial infarction. Dogs underwent occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery for 90 min, followed by reperfusion for 6 hr. Three groups were studied: (1) control, (2) dogs receiving 25 mg/kg allopurinol 18 hr before occlusion and 50 mg/kg 5 min before occlusion, and (3) dogs receiving allopurinol as above plus 5 mg/kg superoxide dismutase over 1 hr beginning 15 min before reperfusion. Infarct size expressed as a percentage of the area at risk was 40 +/- 4 in the control group, 22 +/- 5 in the allopurinol group (p less than .05 vs control), and 17 +/- 4 in the allopurinol plus superoxide dismutase group (p less than .05 vs control). The differences in infarct size were not due to differences in myocardial oxygen supply or demand. Neutrophil superoxide anion production was not altered by allopurinol treatment. The results suggest that myocardial xanthine oxidase may generate oxygen radicals that play a role in myocardial injury due to ischemia and reperfusion.