Inhibitory responses of rat cerebellar Purkinje cells to locus coeruleus (LC) stimulation and iontophoresis of norepinephrine (NE) were examined before and after administration of morphine to determine whether the inhibitory modulation of NE release by opiates results in a functional impairment in noradrenergic synaptic action. Administration of morphine systemically (0.2-1.2 mg/kg, i.v.) or by iontophoresis reduced inhibitions in Purkinje firing elicited by LC stimulation without affecting depressions in activity induced by postsynaptic applications of NE. This antagonistic effect of morphine on LC-induced inhibition was reversed or prevented by naloxone and mimicked by administration of levorphanol but not dextrorphan. Morphine increased the excitatory response of Purkinje cells to monosynaptic input from the parallel fibers, whereas it blocked gamma-aminobutyric acid-induced inhibitions in firing via a non-opiate receptor-mediated mechanism. These results demonstrate that morphine interferes with synaptic inhibition derived from the LC and suggest that this may occur via activation of presynaptic opiate receptors residing on noradrenergic nerve terminals.