Electrically evoked contractions in isolated strips of rat gastric fundus were inhibited by atropine (IC50 = 2.5 x 10(-9) M), pirenzepine (IC50 = 2.3 x 10(-8) M), clonidine (IC50 = 3.9 x 10(-8) M) and morphine (IC50 = 3.2 x 10(-7) M) in a dose-dependent manner. 2. The inhibitory effect of morphine was antagonized by naloxone (10(-6) M). The inhibitory effect of clonidine not only was not reversed by yohimbine but also was enhanced. Yohimbine per se inhibited these contractions (IC50 = 6.4 x 10(-6) M). 3. In presence of atropine (2 x 10(-6) M) and guanethidine (5 x 10(-6) M), electrical stimulation of isolated strips of rat gastric fundus produced a non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory response. 4. The NANC inhibitory response was decreased by morphine (10(-8)-3 x 10(-6) M). In addition, morphine decreased the tone of the muscle. These effects of morphine was antagonized by naloxone (3 x 10(-6) M). 5. Clonidine up to 10(-6) M had no influence on the NANC inhibitory response but yohimbine per se (10(-7)-3 x 10(-5) M) blocked it (IC50 = 3 x 10(-6) M). 6. These findings indicate that electrically evoked contractions in the rat gastric fundus were mediated by muscarinic receptors. In addition, the NANC inhibitory response in the isolated 5-strips of rat gastric fundus was blocked by morphine and yohimbine.