The effects of amitriptyline and maprotiline, standard tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, on intraventricular conduction, the effective refractory period (ERP), and the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias induced by programmed stimulation were studied and compared in dog hearts after myocardial infarction. Amitriptyline at doses of 1-3 mg/kg significantly slowed ventricular conduction of the infarcted zones in a frequency-dependent and dose-dependent manner. Amitriptyline at doses of 2 and 3 mg/kg slowed conduction slightly in normal zones. The ERP was prolonged by amitriptyline at a dose of 2 mg/kg. Amitriptyline increased the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias induced by programmed stimulation. Maprotiline at doses of 1-3 mg/kg slowed conduction in infarcted zones to a lesser extent as compared with amitriptyline, although severely depressed conduction in the infarcted zone was obviously slowed by maprotiline. Maprotiline did not increase the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias significantly. From the present results, maprotiline appears to have less cardiac toxicity than amitriptyline, although maprotiline produces a slight decrease in conduction of infarcted zones.