Abstract-To obtain detailed information concerning the effects of different vaso dilators on venous return, experiments were carried out on 28 dogs by the use of the open-loop method. Blood from the superior and inferior venae cavae was drained at the level of the tricuspid valve into a reservoir, from which blood was pumped into the right atrium at a constant flow rate. Changes in reservoir volume reflected a total blood shift from the experimental dog and indicated changes in venous return. Drugs were administered into the ascending aorta. Nitroglycerin (1-10 pg/kg) decreased systemic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and venous return but scarcely altered heart rate. Trimetazidine (0.3-3 mg/kg) decreased systemic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance, venous return and heart rate. Verapamil (10-100 ug/kg) decreased systemic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and heart rate, and increased venous return. SK&F 24260 (1-10 fig/kg) decreased systemic blood pres sure, total peripheral resistance and increased venous return. Only high doses (10 30 pg/kg) of SK&F 24260 reduced heart rate. Rigorous measurements of systemic output showed that nitroglycerin (10 pg/kg), trimetazidine (3 mg/kg), verapamil (100 pg/kg), SK&F 24260 (10 pg/kg) produced no change in this parameter. SK&F 24260 increased venous return even when sino-aortic baroreceptor reflex was eliminated, ruling out reflex venoconstriction as a possible cause of the increased venous return. The results suggest the following: [1] Vasodilators like SK&F 24260 and verapamil increase venous return by decreasing arterial and/or venous resistance. [2] If the effect which increases venous capacitance prevails over the effect which decreases ar terial and/or venous resistance, venous return is reduced as is the case of nitroglycerin and trimetazidine.Nitroglycerin reduces the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and volume (1-4), and such is considered to be one of mechanisms responsible for the antianginal action of nitro glycerin (1, 2, 4-6). The reduction in these 2 parameters is thought to be due mainly to a decrease in venous return (3, 4). Thus, it was of interest to investigate the effect on venous return of other vasodilators used for prevention of attacks of angina pectoris. In previous studies (7,8) we demonstrated that some of vasodilators increased venous return whereas others decreased it. However, in those studies we measured venous return by noncannulating type flow probes of electromagnetic flow meters placed at the superior and the inferior vena cava in anesthetized open-chest dogs and did not control cardiac input (the closed-loop method). Thus, it was hardly discernible whether the observed change in venous return by a certain vasodilator would be due to its effect on vasculature or on the heart. Most