In vivo microdialysis was used to determine the effects of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the mesotelencephalic dopamine system on dopamine receptor agonist induced changes in extracellular acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations in the striatum. Such lesions increased the inhibitory effect of a low dose of the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole (0.05 mg/kg s.c.) on striatal ACh release. In addition, 6-OHDA lesions enhanced the facilitatory effect of the selective D1 receptor agonist CY 208-243 on striatal ACh release, enabling a subthreshold (0.2 mg/kg s.c.) dose to increase striatal dialysate concentrations of ACh by over 60%. These results indicate that denervation supersensitivity potentiates both the facilitatory effects of D1 receptor agonists and the inhibitory effects of D2 receptor agonists on striatal cholinergic activity. It was also found that the 6-OHDA lesions reduced basal interstitial ACh concentrations by 75% in the ipsilateral striatum. The later results are consistent with the hypothesis that the prepotent action of dopamine in the forebrain is to enhance striatal ACh release via a D1 receptor mechanism.