Effects of adenosine on voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channel currents and on arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) release from isolated neurohypophysial (NH) terminals of the rat were investigated using perforated-patch clamp recordings and hormone-specific radioimmunoassays. Adenosine, but not adenosine 5â-triphosphate (ATP), dose-dependently and reversibly inhibited the transient component of the whole-terminal Ba²⁺ currents, with an IC₅₀ of 0.875 µM. Adenosine strongly inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner (IC₅₀ = 2.67 µM), depolarization-triggered AVP and OT release from isolated NH terminals. Adenosine and the N-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker -conotoxin GVIA, but not other Ca²⁺ channel-type antagonists, inhibited the same transient component of the Ba²⁺ current. Other components such as the L-, Q-, and R-type channels, however, were insensitive to adenosine. Adenosine and the N-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker -conotoxin GVIA, but not other Ca²⁺ channel-type antagonists, inhibited the same component of AVP release. A₁ receptor agonists, but not other purinoreceptor-type agonists, inhibited the same transient component of the Ba²⁺ current as adenosine. Furthermore, the A₁ receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT), but not the A₂ receptor antagonist 3, 7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPGX), reversed inhibition of this current component by adenosine. The inhibition of AVP and OT release also appeared to be via the A₁-receptor, since it was reversed by CPT. We therefore conclude that adenosine, acting via A₁ receptors, specifically blocks the terminal N-type Ca²⁺-channel thus leading to inhibition of the release of both AVP and OT.