The effects of halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on laryngeal receptors were investigated in 6 anesthetized dogs breathing spontaneously through a tracheostomy. Single unit action potentials were recorded from the peripheral cut end of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) while different concentrations of volatile anesthetics (1.25, 2.5, 5.0%) were administered in the expiratory direction at a constant air-flow (6 l/min) for 1 min through the functionally isolated upper airway. A total of 21 respiratory-modulated mechanoreceptors, 18 "irritant" receptors, and 7 cold receptors were studied. The overall results obtained from the 16 respiratory-modulated mechanoreceptors challenged with the 3 anesthetic gases disclosed a prevalent inhibitory effect and halothane proved to be the most effective of the 3 gases. The activity during both the inspiratory and expiratory phase was significantly reduced only by halothane (inspiratory phase, P < 0.01; expiratory phase, P < 0.05), while neither isoflurane nor enflurane caused significant changes in receptor activity. Of the 18 irritant receptors, 14 receptors increased their activity in a dose-related manner in response to one or more of the anesthetics although the effect of halothane was more pronounced than those of enflurane and isoflurane. All of the 7 cold receptors consistently increased their activity in a dose-related manner in response to halothane whereas 3 of 7 receptors were insensitive to enflurane and 4 of 7 receptors were insensitive to isoflurane. Our results indicate that, while all three commonly used anesthetics can have an effect on different types of laryngeal receptors, the effects of halothane are more pronounced than those of the other two gases in terms of changes in receptor activity.