Venous return curves and cardiac function relationships were simultaneously determined in 10 pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs at three different isolated carotid sinus pressures. Changing carotid sinus pressure (CSP) between 50 and 200 mmHg produced large changes in the zero flow intercept of the venous return curves from 15.37 +/- 0.97 to 11.94 +/- 1.36 mmHg (P less than 0.001) but no change in slope. These changes in the intercept of the venous return curve were due to alterations in systemic vascular capacity caused by the carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex. Changes in the cardiac function curve with baroreceptor pressure were masked by concomitant changes in arterial pressure afterload; however, when arterial pressure was controlled, there was a significant change in the slope of the cardiac function curve from 60.32 +/- 26.9 to 37.06 +/- 13.31 ml X min-1 X kg-1 X mmHg-1 as CSP was changed from 50 to 200 mmHg. We conclude that changes in vascular capacity are the primary mechanism responsible for changes in cardiac output during activation of the carotid sinus baroreflex.