The effects of phenoxybenzamine and other related drugs were studied for their interaction with caerulein on gallbladder contraction in anesthetized animals and isolated gallbladder strips. Cholecystostomy and cystic duct ligation were made on anesthetized dog, cat and pig. Pressure changes of gallbladder were measured by a physiological pressure transducer connected to polygraph recorder. Isolated rabbit gallbladder strips were placed in a muscle chamber containing Locke-Ringer solution maintained at 38˚C. The contractile responses were measured by a force-displacement transducer connected to polygraph recorder. Caerulein (30 ~ 200 ng/kg i.v.) produced marked contraction of gallbladder in situ and the cholecystokinetic potencies appear in decreasing order; dog, cat and pig. The response of caerulein was abolished by the large doses of phenoxybenzamine (15 mg/kg i.v.) but not affected with dibenamine, phentolamine or tolazoline. Cholecystokinetic effect of methacholine or barium chloride was also partially inhibited by phenoxybenzamine and the effect of caerulein was weakly inhibited intravenous injection of cyclophosphamide or papaverine. In isolated rabbit gallbladder strips, the response of contraction to caerulein were progressively inhibited by pretreatment of phenoxybenzamine along with time exposed. These results lead to the conclusion that phenoxytenzamine may inherently inhibit the contractile response of gallbladder to caerulein, and this effect was not related with α-adrenergic receptor blocking action.