The effects of an orally administered novel and selective NK1 antagonist, NKP608, on cough and airway obstruction, induced by citric acid in guinea pigs, were investigated. Guinea pigs were pre-treated with 0.03, 0.3 and 1 mg kg(-1) of NKP608, the NK2 antagonist, SR48968 or both 2 h prior to challenge with citric acid (0.6 M) for a 10 min period. Guinea pigs pre-treated with 0.03, 0.3 and 1mgkg(-1) of NKP608 exhibited a significant reduction of 77, 74 and 79%, respectively, in the numbers of cough compared to vehicle pre-treated animals (P<0.05). SR48968, 10 mg kg(-1), alone did not significantly affect the citric acid-induced cough but when co-administered with 1 mg kg(-1) of NKP608, there was a significant 90% reduction in cough. NKP608 did not significantly reduce the citric acid-induced increase in Penh at any of the doses used. SR48968 significantly reduced the citric acid induced airway obstruction by about 50%. However, when SR48968 was co-administered with NKP608, there was a greater (73%) decrease in the airway obstruction compared with SR48968 alone. These data show that NKP608, a selective NK1 receptor antagonist, is a potent inhibitor of citric acid induced cough in guinea pigs and may therefore have value in the therapy of clinical cough.