In ovariectomized (OVX) female guinea pigs sequential administration of estradiol and then progesterone (P) is usually necessary to induce the sexually receptive lordosis posture. Systemic administration of alpha-adrenergic agonists can induce lordosis in OVX guinea pigs primed with estradiol benzoate (EB) alone and facilitate lordosis in OVX females primed with EB and P. In this study, we examined the regional specificity of this regulation by infusing the alpha-adrenergic agonist clonidine (CLON) or the alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine (PHEN) into discrete brain areas. CLON, infused in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) of EB-primed females, increased the percentage of females showing lordosis 15-45 min after infusion (p < 0.05) and also increased the number of seconds females held the lordosis posture 15 min to approximately 2.0 h after infusion (by as much as 65% at 15 min p < 0.001). CLON infused in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of EB primed females had no effect on lordosis except at 4.0 h after infusion when it increased the number of seconds females held the lordosis posture (p < 0.05). In EB + P primed females, PHEN infused into the MBH transiently reduced the number of seconds EB + P primed females held lordosis from 30 min to approximately 2.0 h after infusion (by as much as 64% at 1.0 h; p < 0.01). Conversely, PHEN infused into the MPOA of EB + P primed females transiently increased the number of seconds females held lordosis from 15 min to 2.0 h after infusion (maximum difference 64%; p < 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)