The transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1) channels expressed in sensory afferent fibers innervating the heart may be activated by protons or endovanilloids released during myocardial ischemia (MI), leading to angina. Although our previous in vitro data indicate that TRPV1 activation may preserve cardiac function after ischemia-reperfusion injury, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. To test the hypothesis that TRPV1 modulates inflammatory and early remodeling processes to prevent cardiac functional deterioration after myocardial infarction, TRPV1-null mutant (TRPV1(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) mice were subjected to left anterior descending coronary ligation or sham operation. The infarct size was greater in TRPV1(-/-) than in WT mice (P<0.001) 3 days after MI, and the mortality rate was higher in TRPV1(-/-) than in WT mice (P<0.05) 7 days after MI. The levels of plasma cardiac troponin I; cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6; chemokines, including monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-2; and infiltration of inflammatory cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, and myofibroblasts; as well as collagen contents, were greater in TRPV1(-/-) than in WT mice (P<0.05) in the infarct area on days 3 and 7 after MI. Changes in left ventricular geometry led to increased end-systolic and -diastolic diameters and reduced contractile function in TRPV1(-/-) compared with WT mice. These data show that TRPV1 gene deletion results in excessive inflammation, disproportional left ventricular remodeling, and deteriorated cardiac function after MI, indicating that TRPV1 may prevent infarct expansion and cardiac injury by inhibiting inflammation and abnormal tissue remodeling.