Gene expression was evaluated in the myocardium of male Wistar rats after a single subcutaneous administration of 0.5 mg of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist that causes acute tachycardia with subsequent myocardial necrosis. Histology of the heart, clinical chemistry, and hematology were evaluated at 9 time points (0.5 hours to 14 days postinjection). Myocardial gene expression was evaluated at 4 time points (1 hour to 3 days). Contraction bands and loss of cross-striation were identified on phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin-stained sections 0.5 hours postdosing. Plasma troponin I elevation was detected at 0.5 hours, peaked at 3 hours, and returned to baseline values at 3 days postdosing. Interleukin 6 (Il6) expression spiked at 1 to 3 hours and was followed by a short-lived, time-dependent dysregulation of its downstream targets. Concurrently and consistent with the kinetics of the histologic findings, many pathways indicative of necrosis/apoptosis (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK] signaling, NF-kappaB signaling) and adaptation to hypertension (PPAR signaling) were overrepresented at 3 hours. The 1-day and 3-day time points indicated an adaptive response, with down-regulation of the fatty acid metabolism pathway, up-regulation of the fetal gene program, and superimposed inflammation and repair at 3 days. These results suggest early involvement of Il6 in isoproterenol-induced myocardial necrosis and emphasize the value of early time points in transcriptomic studies.