Systemic and cardiac metabolism of thromboxane was studied in a canine model (n = 13) of standard cardiopulmonary bypass and surgical cardioplegia. Sterile techniques were applied and no donor blood was used. Systemic samples (thoracic aorta) and transcardiac gradients (coronary sinus - aortic root) were obtained (1) 5 minutes after cannulation, (2) 20 minutes after the onset of partial bypass, (3) 5 seconds after the first administration of cardioplegic solution (CP-1), and (4) 5 seconds after the second administration of cardioplegic solution (CP-2). Cardioplegic doses were administered 30 minutes apart and consisted of 500 ml of hypothermic (8 degrees C), hyperkalemic (25 mEq potassium chloride) solution infused into the aortic root at 60 to 70 mm Hg. Thromboxane B2 was determined by a double-antibody radioimmunoassay (picograms per milliliter +/- standard error of the mean). Onset of partial bypass was followed by a significant rise in systemic arterial thromboxane B2 levels: after cannulation, 115 +/- 21 pg/ml; after the onset of partial bypass, 596 +/- 141 pg/ml; p less than 0.01). Significant transcardiac thromboxane B2 gradients were found during the first and second cardioplegic washouts (CP-1: aortic root 73 +/- 12 pg/ml, coronary sinus 306 +/- 86 pg/ml, p less than 0.01; CP-2: aortic root 65 +/- 11 pg/ml, coronary sinus 355 +/- 98 pg/ml, p less than 0.01). Transcardiac gradients of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha and thromboxane B2 were obtained at CP-1 and CP-2. Gradients of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha were not different from thromboxane B2 gradients during CP-1 but were significantly higher than thromboxane B2 gradients during CP-2. In a subgroup of five dogs, transcardiac thromboxane B2, lactate, and platelet gradients were measured simultaneously. Cardiac thromboxane B2 generation was found only in the presence of cardiac lactate production. Transcardiac platelet gradients were significantly higher at CP-1 (13,900 +/- 3,000/mm3) than at CP-2 (4,000 +/- 1,230/mm3) (p less than 0.05), whereas thromboxane B2 gradients were similar at CP-1 and CP-2. Our study demonstrates that thromboxane B2 is released into the coronary circulation during surgical cardioplegic arrest with anaerobiosis.