Background Chronic heart failure (CHF) is associated with calcium transients and calcium handling proteins. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor has been demonstrated to have beneficial effect on CHF. Yet studies addressed to the relationship between ACE inhibitor and calcium transients in CHF are rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ACE inhibitor (perindopril) on the contractility and calcium transients and calcium handling proteins in ventricular myocytes from rats with experimental heart failure.Results The fraction of cell shortening (FS%) and [Ca2+]imax (nmol/L) were significantly reduced in group CHF-C compared with group PS (FS%: 7.51±1.15 vs 13.21±1.49;[Ca2+]imax:330.85±50.05 vs 498.16±14.07; both P<0.01), and restored at least partially in CHF-T group. In CHF-C group, the left ventricular mRNA of NCX1 and PLB were significantly upregulated in comparing with PS group (RNCX1/β-Actin: 0.51±0.12 vs 0.19±0.06, P<0.01; RPLB/β-Actin: 0.26±0.12 vs 0.20±0.08, P<0.05), while SERCA2 mRNA was downregulated (0.48±0.10 vs 0.80±0.11, P<0.01). The mRNA levels of NCX1 and SERCA2 in CHF-T group were between the CHF-C and PS group, and the differences of the latter two groups were significant (all P<0.05). In CHF-C and CHF-T groups, the protein expression of NCX1 were 1.141±0.047 and 1.074±0.081 times of that in PS group respectively (both P<0.05), and SERCA2 protein levels were 0.803±0.100 and 0.893±0.084 times of that in PS group respectively (both P<0.05). The protein expression of NCX1 and SERCA2 in the CHF-C and CHF-T groups is significantly different (both P<0.05).Conclusion ACE inhibitor could improve cardiac function of failing heart through directly enhancing the contractility of single cardiomyocyte, and these effects are probably mediated by its roles in preventing the deleterious changes of calcium transients and calcium handling proteins in CHF.