Attempts to identify mechanisms by which calcium antagonists might influence intracellular metabolism have not yet yielded conclusive findings. In this study bepridil, verapamil, nifedipine, and nisoldipine were found to have no influence on the rate of rat heart myosin adenosine triphosphatase or the calcium dependence of myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase. None of these calcium antagonists alters the rate of reaction of any of the adenine nucleotide catabolic or adenosine salvage enzymes, adenylate kinase, creatine kinase, adenosine kinase, adenosine deaminase, or 5' nucleotidase, in extracts of rat heart. All four compounds, however, reduced, apparently in a non-specific manner, the rate of uptake of adenosine by myocytes isolated from rat heart. It is concluded that calcium antagonists may, through intercalation with the sarcolemmal membrane, inhibit efflux of adenosine formed by catabolism of adenine nucleotides in ischaemic myocytes. This might offer therapeutic advantage since the intracellular concentration of adenosine would thereby be increased, allowing an increased rate of incorporation of adenosine into the adenosine triphosphate pool in reoxygenated myocardium.