In 8 dogs, several paired lead beads as radiopaque markers were implanted in the subepicardial and subendocardial regions, and biplane cineradiograms were obtained after closure of the chest. The spatial distance (segment length) between the two markers in the outer and inner sides of the myocardium was calculated using a digitizer-computer-plotter system, and the effect of nitroglycerin on regional left ventricular geometry was assessed. Segment length at the R wave of the electrocardiogram (LECG R) was reduced from 39.7 +/- 11.8 (mean +/- SD) to 38.8 +/- 12.1 mm at the subepicardium and from 31.9 +/- 9.5 to 29.5 +/- 10.4 mm at the subendocardium 3 minutes after intravenous injection of 0.5 mg of nitroglycerin. Segment length at endsystole (LES) was also reduced from 38.9 +/- 11.7 to 38.2 +/- 11.8 mm at the subepicardium and from 29.6 +/- 9.2 to 27.9 +/- 9.9 mm at the subendocardium by nitroglycerin. Systolic shortening [(LECG R--LES)/LECG R] x 100) showed a slight reduction after nitroglycerin. Left ventricular wall thickness measured as a distance between subepicardial and correspondent subendocardial markers showed a slight but significant increase by nitroglycerin: Maximal thickness was increased from 10.9 +/- 3.2 to 11.4 +/- 3.3 mm, and thickness at the R wave of the electrocardiogram was also increased from 10.9 +/- 3.1 to 10.5 +/- 3.2 mm. Thickening of the wall was markedly increased at the anterior mid portion of the left ventricle but not at the base, suggesting nitroglycerin has larger effect on the former position than the latter.