The time-course of variations in extracellular dopamine concentration following local pressure ejection of 10(-7) to 10(-3) M neurotensin into the ventral tegmental area of the rat was determined in the minute range in the nucleus accumbens by means of differential normal pulse voltammetry associated with carbon fibre electrodes. The effects of neurotensin ejection into the ventral tegmental area were further investigated on the firing activity of the corresponding dopaminergic neurons. The lowest concentration of neurotensin (10(-7) M) enhanced the extracellular dopamine concentration throughout the nucleus accumbens and stimulated the discharge activity of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons. The two highest concentrations of neurotensin (10(-5) M and 10(-3) M) evoked two patterns of responses on the extracellular dopamine concentration and on the discharge activity of dopaminergic neurons. The extracellular dopamine concentration was increased above basal levels in the caudal part of the nucleus accumbens. In the rostral part, the evoked changes exhibited a multiphasic time-course characterized by a decreasing phase below baseline. The firing rate of dopaminergic neurons was either increased or decreased, depending on the neuron being tested. In fact, neurotensin ejection was always followed by an exacerbation of bursting activity, the resulting effect on the mean firing rate being related to the duration of the interburst intervals. Indeed, short interburst intervals permitted an increase in mean firing rate whereas long interburst intervals, indicative of excessive depolarization, led to a decrease in mean firing rate. These results suggest that variations in extracellular dopamine concentration evoked by neurotensin administration into the ventral tegmental area are the result of neurotensin-evoked changes in dopaminergic activity. Moreover, the differential effects evoked by high concentrations of neurotensin could be attributable to two subpopulations of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons which could project differentially to the caudal and the rostral parts of the nucleus accumbens.