Administered by either intravenous (i.v.) or intracisternal (i.cis.) injections, MK-771 and TRH induced a dose-related increase in EMG activity recorded from the flexor ulnaris muscle in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. By the i.v. route, MK-771 was 6 times more potent than TRH and with i.cis. administration MK-771 was some 30 times more active than TRH. At equieffective doses of the two peptides, MK-771 exhibited a greater (approximately 3 fold) duration of action than TRH. In unanesthetized, spinally transected rats MK-771 was also more potent than TRH in eliciting EMG activity recorded from the biceps femoris muscle. Substance P, administered by the i.cis route failed to induce EMG activity. Intracisternally administered neurotensin, which did not affect EMG activity by itself, antagonized the actions of MK-771 while somatostatin was inactive in this regard. Neurotensin did not affect the EMG activity induced by physostigmine. While these studies do not delineate the mechanism whereby TRH and MK-771 induce EMG activity, it appears reasonable to suggest that TRH and related peptides, such as MK-771, may have some influence in functional disorders of human muscle.