The resetting of the circadian clock based on photic cues delivered by the glutamatergic retinohypothalamic tract is an important process helping mammals to function adaptively to the daily light-dark cycle. To see if the photic resetting relies on voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCCs), we examined the effects of VGCC blockers on the glutamate-induced phase shifts of circadian firing activity rhythms of suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) neurons in hypothalamic slices. First, we found that a cocktail of amiloride, nimodipine and omega-conotoxin MVIIC (T-, L- and NPQ-type VGCC antagonists, respectively) completely blocked both phase delays and advances, which were, respectively, induced by glutamate application in early and late night. Next, we discovered that: (i) amiloride and another T-type VGCC antagonist, mibefradil, completely obstructed the delays without affecting the advances; (ii) nimodipine completely blocked the advances while having less impact on delays; and (iii) omega-conotoxin MVIIC blocked largely, if not entirely, both delays and advances. Subsequent whole-cell recordings revealed that T-type Ca(2+) currents in neurons in the ventrolateral, not dorsomedial, region of the SCN were larger during early than late night, whereas L-type Ca(2+) currents did not differ from early to late night in both regions. These results indicate that VGCCs play important roles in glutamate-induced phase shifts, T-type being more important for phase delays and L-type being so for phase advances. Moreover, the results point to the possibility that a nocturnal modulation of T-type Ca(2+) current in retinorecipient neurons is related to the differential involvement of T-type VGCC in phase delays and advances.