Hemodynamic effects of nisoldipine (Bay k 5552) were compared with those of nifedipine in anesthetized open-chest dogs. Both nisoldipine and nifedipine produced a fall in aortic pressure and increases in aortic, vertebral and coronary blood flows. After administration of nisoldipine, renal blood flow, heart rate and left ventricular enddiastolic pressure were not changed, but left ventricular dP/dt was increased. After administration of nifedipine, renal blood flow and left ventricular dP/dt were decreased, and left ventricular enddiastolic pressure was elevated. Heart rate was hardly changed. Durations of increases in aortic, vertebral and coronary blood flows were about 3 times longer after nisoldipine than after nifedipine. Percent decrease in coronary vascular resistance was greater and percent decrease in renal vascular resistance was smaller than that in total peripheral vascular resistance with both nisoldipine and nifedipine. Results indicate that nisoldipine and nifedipine produce marked coronary vasoldilation and the vasodilating effect of nisoldipine lasts longer than that of nifedipine.