To ascertain whether early intracoronary reperfusion (less than 3 hours) preserves aerobic myocardial metabolism in acute myocardial infarction, serial changes in trans-cardiac lactate extraction after intracoronary thrombolysis were examined in 35 patients with acute anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Eight patients without intracoronary reperfusion served as controls. In the chronic phase, we also observed abnormally contracting myocardial segments as an index of infarct size and the regional ejection fraction as an index of chronic regional cardiac function. In the early reperfusion group (less than 3 hours; 15 cases), positive lactate extraction was restored; there were small abnormally-contracting segments and a high regional ejection fraction. However, the intermediate reperfusion group (3-5 hours; 10 cases) had sustained anaerobic lactate extraction, large abnormally-contracting segments and a low regional ejection fraction. The late reperfusion (greater than 5 hours; 10 cases) group showed apparent aerobic lactate extraction, but had large abnormally-contracting segments and a low regional ejection fraction. Thus, early reperfusion preserves aerobic lactate metabolism and good ventricular function in the chronic phase.