Isolated segments of the guinea-pig small intestine were vascularly perfused and the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) into the portal venous effluent determined by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Release of acetylcholine from isolated superfused intestinal segments was determined as outflow of [3H]radioactivity from preparations preincubated with [3H]choline. Cisplatin (3 microM) increased the outflow of 5-HT and 5-HIAA by about 90%. At 30 and 100 microM cisplatin decreased the outflow of 5-HT and its metabolite by 40%-50%. The stimulatory effect of cisplatin was consistently observed only when the bicarbonate-phosphate buffer of the Tyrode's solution was replaced by HEPES-buffer. The stimulatory effect of cisplatin was abolished in the absence of extracellular calcium or presence of tetrodotoxin (1 microM). The stimulatory effect of cisplatin was also prevented by hexamethonium (100 microM) or scopolamine (100 nM). The 5-HT3 receptor antagonists ondansetron and ICS 205-930 in concentrations as low as 1 pM also abolished the stimulatory effect of cisplatin. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonist MDL 72222 prevented the stimulatory effect of cisplatin only at a concentration of 1 microM. None of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists alone significantly altered the outflow of 5-HT and 5-HIAA. Cisplatin (3 microM) enhanced the outflow of [3H]radioactivity from intestinal segments and caused longitudinal muscle contractions that were abolished by 100 nM scopolamine. In conclusion, cisplatin, at concentrations which occur during anti-cancer therapy in humans and induce emesis, increases the release of 5-HT from the enterochromaffin cells of the small intestine of the guinea-pig.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)