The effects of histamine and related drugs on the evoked tritium overflow from superfused rat brain cortex slices preincubated with 3H-noradrenaline were determined. Tritium overflow was stimulated electrically (3 Hz; slices superfused with normal physiological salt solution) or by introduction of CaCl2 1.3 mmol/l (slices superfused with Ca2(+)-free medium containing K+ 20 mmol/l). Histamine slightly decreased the electrically evoked 3H overflow in slices superfused in the presence of desipramine. The degree of inhibition obtained with histamine was doubled when both desipramine and phentolamine were present in the superfusion medium (pIC15 6.46). Under the latter condition, the evoked overflow was inhibited by the H3 receptor agonist R-(-)-alpha-methylhistamine and its S-(+) enantiomer (pIC15 7.36 and 5.09, respectively), but was not affected by the H2 receptor agonist dimaprit and the H1 receptor agonist 2-thiazolylethylamine (both at up to 32 mumols/l). The concentration-response curve of histamine was shifted to the right by the H3 receptor antagonists thioperamide, impromidine and burimamide (apparent pA2 8.37, 6.86 and 7.05, respectively), by the H2 receptor antagonist ranitidine (apparent pA2 4.27) and was not affected by the H1 receptor antagonist dimetindene (32 mumols/l). The inhibitory effect of R-(-)-alpha-methylhistamine on the evoked overflow was also counteracted by thioperamide. Given alone, none of the five histamine receptor antagonists affected the evoked overflow. In the absence of desipramine plus phentolamine, impromidine and burimamide facilitated the electrically evoked 3H overflow whereas thioperamide had no effect. The facilitatory effects of impromidine and burimamide were abolished by phentolamine, but not affected by desipramine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)