Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) appears to cause intestinal fluid secretion by activating intestinal particulate guanylate cyclase. Recent studies suggest that chlorpromazine and quinacrine reduce the intestinal secretory response to ST and activation of guanylate cyclase by ST. We have examined the effects of lanthanum chloride, another agent that has been shown to inhibit calcium-dependent cellular processes, on the intestinal secretory response to ST and on the inhibition of ST by chlorpromazine and quinacrine. Lanthanum (2.5 to 10 mumol per mouse) reduced ST-mediated intestinal fluid secretion in the suckling mouse assay by 40 to 56%, respectively, but did not reduce basal fluid accumulation or ST activation of particulate guanylate cyclase. Intestinal fluid secretion in suckling mice induced by 8-bromocyclic GMP was also reduced by lanthanum. When subeffective doses of lanthanum and chlorpromazine were combined, they blocked both ST- and 8-bromocyclic GMP-mediated gut secretion in suckling mice. Likewise, the combination of subeffective doses of lanthanum and quinacrine reduced ST-mediated gut secretion in suckling mice. However, 8-bromocyclic GMP-induced secretion was not synergistically inhibited by lanthanum and quinacrine. These results suggest that lanthanum blocks ST-induced secretion after ST activation of guanylate cyclase. Additionally, lanthanum potentiates the inhibitory effects of quinacrine and chlorpromazine on ST and suggests that combination antisecretory therapy deserves further exploration.