It has been reported that pentobarbital facilities binding to benzodiazepine receptors binding at anesthetic concentrations and that this action may play a role in the anesthetic potency of this barbiturate. The interaction between pentobarbital and benzodiazepine receptors was tested with Ro 15-1788 which is reported to be a pure benzodiazepine antagonist and 3-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline (3-HMC), an antagonist which has inverse activity alone. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral oxygen consumption (CMRO2) were measured in rats after injections of pentobarbital with and without the antagonists. Pentobarbital produced dose-dependent decreases in cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption at 15 and 30 mg/kg. The antagonist Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg) stimulated cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption alone but did not alter the cerebral depression produced by pentobarbital. The cerebral metabolic stimulation produced by Ro 15-1788 was unexpected since the drug is reported to be a pure antagonist without agonistic activity, but the lack of effect on pentobarbital-induced cerebral depression is consistent with other reports. 3-Hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline at 10 mg/kg did not stimulate cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption but significantly antagonized the decrease in cerebral oxygen consumption produced by 15 mg/kg pentobarbital. 3-Hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline had no significant effect on decreases in cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption produced by phenobarbital, a barbiturate which is reported not to alter binding to benzodiazepine receptors. The ability of 3-HMC to antagonize the effects of pentobarbital would be consistent with an action of both drugs at the benzodiazepine receptor but not by altering binding to an endogenous receptor.