Tail pinch was administered through a paper clip attached to the rat's tail. The ex vivo changes in the metabolite/transmitter ratio were used as a measure of changes in the turnover of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine. After a 2-min tail pinch dopamine turnover was increased in the striatum but not in the frontal cortex, hypothalamus or olfactory tubercle; 5-hydroxytryptamine turnover was increased in frontal cortex and hippocampus and was unchanged in striatum, hypothalamus and olfactory tubercle. Microdialysis was used to monitor the changes in extracellular neurotransmitter and metabolite concentrations during and after tail pinch. A 5-min tail pinch caused a rapid rise of both dopamine in the striatum and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the hippocampus. There was a smaller increase in the 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and only a non-significant increase in the dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid.