This study was designed to assess the role of adenosine in the regulation of exogenous glucose utilization by myocardium. Perfusion of isolated rat hearts with buffer containing D-[3-3H]glucose and analysis of the coronary effluent for 3H2O production was used as an indicator of glycolytic flux. Initially, glycolytic flux was determined during five different conditions: 1) normoxia; 2) normoxia plus 100 microM adenosine; 3) normoxia plus 100 microM adenosine and 10 microM 8-(sulfophenyl)-theophylline (SPT), an adenosine receptor antagonist; 4) hypoxia; and 5) hypoxia plus 10 microM SPT. Both adenosine and hypoxia produced an approximate threefold increase in glycolytic flux that was attenuated by adenosine receptor blockade with SPT. Next, hearts were perfused during normoxic conditions with various concentrations of either R-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA), an A1-adenosine receptor agonist, or 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), an A2-adenosine receptor agonist. Significant increases in glycolytic flux occurred with PIA, whereas NECA treatment resulted in only a marginal stimulation of glycolytic flux. These data provide evidence that: 1) exogenous adenosine stimulated glycolytic flux in the normoxic myocardium; 2) endogenous adenosine stimulated glycolytic flux during hypoxia; and 3) the effect of adenosine on glycolytic flux was mediated by interaction with A1-adenosine receptors.