1. The profile of opioid and cannabinoid receptors in neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) has been studied using the whole-cell configuration of the patch clamp technique. 2. Experiments with selective agonists and antagonists of opioid, ORL and cannabinoid receptors indicated that mu-opioid, kappa-opioid, ORL-1 and CB1, but not delta-opioid, receptors inhibit VDCCs in NTS. 3. Application of [D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO; mu-opioid receptor agonist), Orphanin FQ (ORL-1 receptor agonist) and WIN55,122 (CB1 receptor agonist) caused inhibition of I(Ba) in a concentration-dependent manner, with IC50's of 390 nM, 220 nM and 2.2 microM, respectively. 4. Intracellular dialysis of the G(i)-protein antibody attenuated DAMGO-, Orphanin FQ- and WIN55,122-induced inhibition of I(Ba). 5. Both pretreatment with adenylate cyclase inhibitor and intracellular dialysis of the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor attenuated WIN55,122-induced inhibition of I(Ba) but not DAMGO- and Orphanin FQ-induced inhibition. 6. Mainly N- and P/Q-type VDCCs were inhibited by both DAMGO and Orphanin FQ, while L-type VDCCs were inhibited by WIN55,122. 7. These results suggest that mu- and kappa-opioid receptors and ORL-1 receptor inhibit N- and P/Q-type VDCCs via G alpha(i)-protein betagamma subunits, whereas CB1 receptors inhibit L-type VDCCs via G alpha(i)-proteins involving PKA in NTS.