Serotonin (5-HT) enhances the neurogenic contractile response induced by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in the rat isolated urinary bladder. The aim of this study was to functionally characterize the receptors involved in this effect by using a range of 5-HT receptor subtype selective agonists and antagonists. 5-HT produced a concentration-dependent potentiation of contractile responses to EFS with a pEC(50) value of 6.86±0.24. SB-269970 (0.01, 0.1 and 1μM), a selective 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist, caused a concentration-dependent rightward shift of the 5-HT-induced response. The pA(2) value was 8.16 with a slope of 0.46±0.08. Neither ketanserine nor SB-204741, 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2B) receptors antagonists, respectively, affected the concentration-response curve to 5-HT. However, 5-HT response was antagonized by the selective 5-HT(2C) receptor antagonist SB-242084 (0.1 and 1μM). In the presence of 1μM of both antagonists SB-269970 and SB-242084, 5-HT response was almost fully inhibited. 5-CT, a 5-HT(7) receptor agonist, induced a biphasic concentration-dependent potentiation of neurogenic contractions. SB-269970 concentration-dependently antagonized the first phase of 5-CT response with a pA(2) value of 8.77 and a slope not significantly different from unity (0.91±0.11) that suggests a competitive antagonism. WAY-161503, a 5-HT(2C) receptor agonist (0.01-10μM), induced a concentration-dependent potentiation of contractile response to EFS while DOI (a selective 5-HT(2A) agonist) had no effect. SB-242084 (0.1 and 1μM) antagonized the effect of WAY-161503 in a concentration-dependent manner. The current results demonstrate that 5-HT potentiates neurogenic contractions of rat isolated detrusor muscle through both 5-HT(7) and 5-HT(2c) receptors.