To investigate the effects of the endogenous kappa-receptor agonists dynorphin and leumorphin on neurons of the supraoptic nucleus in the rat hypothalamus, intracellular recordings were made from 62 supraoptic neurons in slice preparations. Bath application of dynorphin and leumorphin at 10(-7) M to 3 x 10(-6) M decreased the spontaneous firing rate with slight hyperpolarization of the membrane potential (-3.8 +/- 0.5 mV, mean +/- S.E.M.) but did not detectably change input resistance. The inhibitory effects were blocked by the relatively selective kappa-antagonist MR-2266. The synthetic kappa-receptor agonist U-50,488H had similar inhibitory effects on supraoptic neurons. Postsynaptic potentials evoked by electrical stimulation dorsal or dorsolateral to the supraoptic nucleus were suppressed by dynorphin and leumorphin. Morphine and [D-Ala, D-Leu]enkephalin, which are relatively selective to mu- and delta-receptors, respectively, influenced the postsynaptic potentials less. Dynorphin and leumorphin also decreased the duration of action potentials that were prolonged by either bath application of tetraethylammonium chloride at 5-10 mM or intracellular injection of Cs ions from the recording electrodes which were filled with 3 M cesium citrate. The prolongation was blocked by 1 mM MnCl2 and 2 mM CoCl2, which suggested that the components were due to voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx. The results suggest that endogenous kappa-receptor agonists inhibit neurosecretory cells of the supraoptic nucleus to suppress synaptic events and Ca2+ components of action potentials.