The myoelectrical activity of the gastric smooth muscle, recorded by a bipolar electrode placed at the gastric antrum in rats, could be recorded when the stomach was distended with 5 ml of physiological saline. This activity may be induced by a mucosal reflex and was inhibited both by atropine and by pirenzepine. Replacement of physiological saline with solutions of NaCl suppressed this myoelectrical activity. This suppression was dependent on the concentrations of NaCl in the solutions, from 0.3 to 1.0 M. Pretreatment with indomethacin (10 mg/kg, intravenous) completely prevented this suppression induced by different concentrations of NaCl solutions. Intragastric administration of 1.0 M NaCl in solution caused an increase in the levels of PGE2 in the gastric lumen. Intragastric administration of OU-1308, a synthetic derivative of PGE1, also suppressed the myoelectrical activity in a dose-dependent manner. It is concluded that the suppression of gastric myoelectrical activity by hyperosmolar NaCl may be attributable to the generation of endogenous PGE2 in the stomach.