Effects of serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) on neuronal activities of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) were investigated in rat medullary slice preparations. The spontaneous discharges after perfusion of slices with 5-HT (1 mumol.L-1, 3 min) were increased in 25 (58.1%), reduced in 13 (30.2%), and unchanged in 5 (11.7%) neurons. Afer perfusion of slices with NE (1 mumol.L-1, 3 min), the spontaneous discharges were reduced or ceased in 27 (62.8%), increased in 13 (30.2%), and unchanged in 3 (7.0%) neurons. Responding to both 5-HT and NE were 38 (88.4%) neurons, among which 21 were selected for studying the effect of ketanserin (a new 5-HT2 blocker). The spontaneous discharges were more increased in 10 (47.6%) and reduced in 4 (19.0%) neurons after perfusion of ketanserin+NE than after perfusion of NE alone. These results indicate that there is an interaction between 5-HT2 receptor and alpha 2 adrenoceptor at NTS level, suggesting that the central action of ketanserin may be one of its antihypertensive mechanisms.