IN vivo electrochemistry was used to monitor the effects of several voltage-sensitive calcium channel (VSCC) antagonists (e.g. divalent metal ions, diltiazem and omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CT) on the electrically evoked release of dopamine (DA) in the striatum and norepinephrine (NE) in the thalamus of the anesthetized rat. The results suggest that the N-type voltage-sensitive calcium channel is the primary VSCC involved in the electrically stimulated release of DA in the striatum, whereas stimulated release of NE in the thalamus was only partially dependent on N-type VSCC. In addition, DA release appears to be more sensitive to VSCC antagonism than does NE release with the in vivo application used in this study.