Norepinephrine (NE) has been shown to have a biphasic effect on evoked potentials in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of the rat in vitro, with a beta receptor mediating an increase and an alpha receptor eliciting a decrease in the amplitude of the population spike. The purpose of this study was to use selective alpha-adrenergic agonists and antagonists to determine the subtype of receptor mediating the depressant response of NE. The present investigations demonstrated that the selective alpha 1 agonist, phenylephrine (2-50 microM) elicited a dose-dependent depression of the amplitude of the population spike. Clonidine, a relatively selective alpha 2-agonist, also depressed the amplitude of the population spike, but only at concentrations (10 microM) that were inconsistent with a selective action upon alpha 2-receptors. Another alpha 2-agonist, alpha-methylnorepinephrine (100-400 nM) did not depress the amplitude of the population spike. The depressant effect of NE was antagonized by the nonselective alpha antagonist, phentolamine (0.5-50 microM) and the alpha 1-selective antagonist, prazosin (1 microM), but not by the alpha 2-selective antagonist, idazoxan (1-10 microM). Phentolamine and prazosin antagonized the response to phenylephrine but not to clonidine. The depressant effect of NE was not antagonized by the antagonist of serotonin and dopamine, spiperone (100 nM); conversely, the effect of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamine) tetralin (50 microM), a 5-HT1A receptor-selective agonist, which also depresses the amplitude of the population spike, was not antagonized by phentolamine (5 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)