1. We investigated the inhibitory effects of a non-acylguanidine Na(+)-H(+) exchange (NHE) inhibitor, T-162559 ((5E,7S)-[7-(5-fluoro-2-methylphenyl)-4-methyl-7,8-dihydro-5(6H)-quinolinylideneamino] guanidine dimethanesulphonate), on NHE-1, and its cardioprotective effect against ischaemia and reperfusion injury in rats and rabbits. 2. T-162559 inhibited human platelet NHE-1 in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC(50) value of 13+/-3 nmol l(-1), making it 16 and three times more potent than cariporide IC(50): 209+/-75 nmol l(-1), P<0.01) and eniporide (IC(50): 40+/-11 nmol l(-1), P=0.066), respectively. T-162559 also inhibited rat NHE-1 with an IC(50) value of 14+/-2 nmol l(-1), which was five and three times lower than that of cariporide (IC(50): 75+/-7 nmol l(-1), P<0.01) and eniporide (IC(50): 44+/-2 nmol l(-1), P<0.01), respectively. 3. T-162559 inhibited, in a concentration-dependent manner, the reduction in cardiac contractility, progression of cardiac contracture, and increase in lactate dehydrogenase release after global ischaemia and reperfusion in perfused rat hearts. The inhibitory effects of T-162559 were observed at a lower concentration range (10 - 100 nmol l(-1)) than with cariporide and eniporide. T-162559 did not alter basal cardiac contractility or coronary flow after reperfusion, suggesting that it exerts direct cardioprotective effects on the heart. 4. Intravenous administration of T-162559 (0.03 and 0.1 mg kg(-1)) significantly inhibited the progression of myocardial infarction induced by left coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion in rabbits; the infarct size normalized by area at risk was 74+/-6% in the vehicle group, and 47+/-5% and 51+/-7% in the T-162559-0.03 mg kg(-1) and T-162559-0.1 mg kg(-1) groups (both P<0.05), respectively. 5. These results indicate that the new structural NHE-1 inhibitor T-162559 is more potent than cariporide and eniporide and possesses a cardioprotective effect against ischaemia and reperfusion injury in rat and rabbit models.