The general anaesthetic, propofol is an antioxidant and an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (Javadov et al. 2000, Suleiman et al. 2001). These characteristics have been used to explain the protection of propofol against reperfusion damage in normal hearts (Javadov et al. 2000). Metabolic differences between normal and hypertrophic hearts have been reported (Suleiman et al. 1998) and used to explain differences in the requirements of myocardial protection techniques during open heart surgery (Ascione et al. 2002). It is not known whether propofol is cardioprotective in hypertrophic hearts. Therefore, the effect of propofol supplementation during ischaemia and reperfusion was investigated using isolated and perfused hypertrophic hearts from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their corresponding control hearts from normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY).Male SHR and WKY rats were humanely killed by cervical dislocation and the hearts dissected. Isolated working rat hearts were perfused with Krebs buffer at 37°C as described previously (Javadov et al. 2000). After 20 min equilibration in the working mode, hearts (n=4-6/group) were exposed to normothermic global ischaemia for 20 or 30 minutes. Hearts were then reperfused and functional recovery determined. In the treated groups 4mg/l propofol was present before and during ischaemia, but was washed out after 10 min reperfusion. Hypertrophic hearts from SHR were more susceptible to ischaemia compared to control hearts from WKY. Recovery (%) in cardiac output (CO, aortic flow + coronary flow) was 80 ± 7 vs. 36 ± 3% after 20 min ischaemia and 17 ± 7 vs. 0.0% after 30 min ischaemia, for WKY and SHR respectively (p<0.05, Mean of 4-6 ± S.E., ANOVA). Propofol significantly improved recovery of SHR hearts (70 ± 16% after 20 min and 25 ± 6% after 30 min ischaemia (p<0.05, mean ± S.E.). The drug also improved recovery of WKY after 30 min ischaemia (48 ± 8% p<0.05, mean ± S.E.). Intralipid (propofol carrier) did not influence recovery.In conclusion, this work shows that propofol, at clinically relevant concentrations, improves the recovery of hypertrophic SHR rat hearts and their corresponding control (WKY) hearts following normothermic global ischaemia and reperfusion.