1 Cyclic GMP (cGMP) has been shown to be an important modulator of cardiac contractile function. A major component of cGMP regulation of contractility is cGMP-mediated inhibition of the cardiac calcium current (I Ca ). An under-appreciated aspect of cyclic nucleotide signalling is hydrolysis of the cyclic nucleotide (i.e., breakdown by phosphodiesterases (PDEs)). The role of cGMP hydrolysis in regulating I Ca has not been studied. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate if inhibition of cGMP hydrolysis can modulate I Ca in isolated guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. 2 Zaprinast, a selective inhibitor of cGMP-speci®c PDE (PDE5), caused a signi®cant increase in cGMP levels in myocytes, but was without a ect on basal or b-adrenergic stimulated cAMP levels (consistent with its actions as a speci®c inhibitor of PDE5). 3 Zaprinast inhibited I Ca that was pre-stimulated with cAMP elevating agents (isoproterenol, a badrenergic agonist; or forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase). The e ect of zaprinast was greatly reduced by KT5823, an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). 4 Zaprinast also signi®cantly inhibited basal I Ca when perforated-patch or whole-cell recording with physiological pipette calcium concentration (10 77 M) was used. However, this e ect was not observed when using standard calcium-free whole-cell recording conditions. 5 These results indicate that inhibition of cGMP hydrolysis can decrease both basal and cAMPstimulated I Ca . Thus, cGMP hydrolysis may likely be an important step for physiological modulation of I Ca . This regulation may also be important in disease states in which cGMP production is increased and PDE5 expression is altered, such as heart failure.