The effects of activation of the alpha-adrenoceptors on glucagon secretion are not yet clear. We therefore injected the alpha 1-selective agonist phenylephrine and the alpha 2-selective agonist clonidine (0.05-50 nmol/kg) intravenously to mice and measured the plasma glucagon levels. We found that both phenylephrine and clonidine enhanced the plasma glucagon levels. The peak level of plasma glucagon was seen at 2 min after clonidine injection whereas phenylephrine enhanced the plasma glucagon levels throughout a 10 min period after the injection. Furthermore, both clonidine and phenylephrine potentiated the plasma glucagon response to the cholinergic agonist carbachol and exerted additive stimulatory effects on the plasma glucagon response to both the beta-adrenoceptor agonist terbutaline and the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin, CCK-8. The elevated plasma insulin levels after injection of carbachol or terbutaline were lowered by clonidine but not by phenylephrine whereas the CCK-8-induced increase in plasma insulin levels was not affected by either clonidine or phenylephrine. We conclude that both alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor activation enhances plasma glucagon levels in the mouse, and that alpha 2- but not alpha 1-adrenoceptor activation lowers plasma insulin levels.