Endogenous opioids are known to mediate some of the cardiovascular sequelae of sepsis. Inhibition of adrenergic action has been implicated as a physiological path by which endogenous opioids cause deleterious changes in cardiovascular function during endotoxin shock, but where and to what extent this accounts for changes in regional vascular resistance remains unclear. In this study, we addressed this question by examining the role of alpha-adrenergic actions in cardiovascular performance and the regional perfusion changes caused by naloxone during endotoxin shock. Rats had catheters inserted into the tail artery, left cardiac ventricle, and jugular vein. Twenty-four hours later, rats received saline or endotoxin (2 mg/kg) challenge intravenously over 30 min, followed at 40 min by intravenous naloxone (or saline) treatment (4 mg/kg + 2 mg/kg x h) in the presence or absence of phentolamine (100 micrograms/kg + 600 micrograms/kg x h) or yohimbine (40 micrograms/kg + 4 micrograms/kg x h). Radiolabeled microspheres were used to determine cardiac outputs and blood flows at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after beginning endotoxin infusion. Naloxone attenuated the endotoxin-induced decline in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (CO), but had no effect on increased systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Phentolamine blocked naloxone's ability to increase MAP and CO, but permitted an increase in SVR by naloxone. In the presence of yohimbine, naloxone still increased MAP, but not CO nor SVR. Regional vascular responses varied, with naloxone demonstrating a vasoconstrictive effect despite alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade in some beds, and no effect in others. The response of individual organs in the hepatosplanchnic circulation was heterogenous as well. These data suggest that some effects of endogenous opioids during endotoxin shock are mediated via inhibition of alpha-adrenergic effects, but that some cardiovascular effects of endogenous opioids are independent of adrenergic control during endotoxin shock.