Moxonidine is an antihypertensive drug that lowers sympathetic vasomotor tone by stimulating either alpha2-adrenergic (alpha2-AR) or imidazoline I1 receptors within the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL). In this study, we investigated the effects of moxonidine (10 microM) on RVL neurons in brain stem slices of neonatal rats. We recorded mainly from retrogradely labeled RVL bulbospinal neurons (putative presympathetic neurons) except for some extracellular recordings. Prazosin was used to block alpha1-adrenoceptors. Moxonidine inhibited the extracellularly recorded discharges of all spontaneously active RVL neurons tested (bulbospinal and unidentified). This effect was reversed or blocked by the selective alpha2-AR antagonist SKF 86466 (10 microM). In contrast, the I1 imidazoline ligand AGN 192403 (10 microM) had no effect on the spontaneous activity. In whole cell recordings (holding potential -70 mV), moxonidine produced a small and variable outward current (mean 7 pA). This current was observed in both tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive and other bulbospinal neurons and was blocked by SKF 86466. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) evoked by focal electrical stimulation were isolated by incubation with gabazine and strychnine, and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) were isolated with 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). Moxonidine reduced the amplitude of the evoked EPSCs (EC(50) = 1 microM; 53% inhibition at 10 microM) but not their decay time constant (5.6 ms). The effect of moxonidine on EPSCs persisted in barium (300 microM) and was reduced approximately 80% by SKF 86466. Moxonidine also reduced the amplitude of evoked IPSCs by 63%. In conclusion, moxonidine inhibits putative RVL presympathetic neurons both presynaptically and postsynaptically. All observed effects in the present study are consistent with an alpha2-AR agonist activity of moxonidine.