The effect of haloperidol, a dopaminergic antagonist, on insulin and glucagon secretion was investigated using the isolated, perfused canine pancreas. Haloperidol at 4 X 10(-7) to 10(-5) mol/l caused a dose-dependent inhibition of glucagon release both at low (25 mg/100 ml) and high glucose concentrations (150 mg/100 ml). At the low glucose concentration insulin release was already maximally suppressed. At the high glucose concentration haloperidol (4 X 10(-7) to 10(-5) mol/1) also caused a dose-dependent inhibition of insulin release. Haloperidol (10(-5) mol/1) inhibited dramatically pancreatic A and B cell responses to isoproterenol (2 ng/ml), acetylcholine (1 mumol/1) and arginine (5 mmol/1). The inhibitory effect of haloperidol on both glucagon and insulin release could be eliminated by increasing perfusate calcium concentration from 1.3 to 8.8 mmol/1. These findings suggested that haloperidol blocks glucagon and insulin release in a somatostatin-like manner by affecting a fundamental step of the stimulus-secretion coupling, probably by interfering with calcium handling of the pancreatic A and B cells.