To assess the response of the relationship between systolic blood pressure and end-systolic volume to pharmacologic agents with known cardiac effects, we studied 21 patients with known coronary heart disease by means of gated radionuclide angiograms during the infusion of phenylephrine. Each individual was studied during the infusion of phenylephrine twice, once as a control and the second time after the administration of either intravenous dobutamine, topical nitroglycerin ointment, or intravenous propranolol. Eight individuals received 10 micrograms/kg/min of dobutamine, which reduced resting cardiac volumes (p less than 0.01), raised ejection fraction (p less than 0.01), and shifted the slope (1.38 +/- 0.50 to 2.03 +/- 0.69, p less than 0.01) and pressure intercept received 2 inches of nitroglycerin ointment. Nitroglycerin increased ejection fraction (p less than 0.05) and reduced volumes (p less than 0.05) but did not alter either the slope (1.46 +/- 0.68 to 1.49 +/- 0.61, p = NS) or intercept (10.6 +/- 5.4 to 10.1 +/- 6.4 mm Hg, p = NS) of the relationship. Eight patients received 15 mg of intravenous propranolol. Propranolol reduced resting ejection fraction (p less than 0.05), increased volumes (p less than 0.05), and reduced both the slope (1.67 +/- 0.58 to 1.51 +/- 0.53, p less than 0.05) and the intercept (13.8 +/- 2.5 to 7.5 +/- 2.3 mm Hg, p less than 0.05) of the pressure-volume relationship. Thus the systolic blood pressure/end-systolic volume relationship can be assessed from radionuclide angiograms.