The influence of glucose-insulin-potassium infusion in combination with a mechanical assist device (intraaortic balloon pumping, IABP) on the levels of high energy phosphates in the canine heart after coronary artery ligation was compared with the effect of a separate application of these measures to protect the acute ischaemic myocardium. The combined method normalized the tissue content of creatine phosphate in the nonischaemic tissue contrary to the application of the mechanical or pharmacological assistance alone. In the ischaemic cardiac tissue only the combination of both methods reduced the loss of creatine phosphate, ATP and the sum of adenine nucleotides. With the balloon pumping a reduction in lactate accumulation was achieved, which, however, was significantly lower than that obtained by the combination of heart protective measures: IABP plus glucose-insulin-potassium.