In order to compare the ultrastructure of GABA-immunoreactive and nonimmunoreactive islet cells in lamina II of the rat dorsal horn, a combined ultrastructural and immunocytochemical study of nine Golgi-stained neurones was performed. Cell bodies of these neurones were tested with antiserum to GABA, and in most cases with antiserum to glycine, while parts of the cell body and dendritic tree were examined with the electron microscope. Four of the neurones had cell bodies that were immunoreactive with GABA antiserum, and 2 of these were also glycine-immunoreactive, while 2 were not. Cell bodies of the remaining five neurones were not immunoreactive with GABA antiserum, nor, in the 3 cases tested, with glycine antiserum. Three of the GABA-immunoreactive cells possessed vesicle-containing dendrites and were presynaptic at dendrodendritic synapses, whereas no vesicles were observed in the dendrites of any of the neurones that were not GABA-immunoreactive. The axon of one of the nonimmunoreactive cells was found with the electron microscope. It gave rise to boutons that contained round agranular vesicles and a few dense-cored vesicles. Three synapses formed by this axon were identified and all were asymmetric. No obvious differences were detected in the types of profile that were presynaptic to GABA-immunoreactive and nonimmunoreactive cells. These results suggest that GABAergic islet cells are a source of presynaptic dendrites in lamina II of the rat and that some presynaptic dendrites contain GABA and glycine, while others contain GABA without glycine. The nonimmunoreactive islet cells presumably represent a distinct functional class of neurones and some of these may release an excitatory amino acid transmitter, possibly in addition to one or more neuropeptides.