As it has been reported that the depolarization-induced release of acetylcholine(ACh) is diminished by activation of presynaptic muscarinic autoreceptor in rabbit hippocampus and various lines of evidence indicate the involvement of adenylate cyclase system in ACh release, it was attempted to delineate the role of cAMP in the muscarinic autoreceptor-mediated control of ACh release. Slices and synaptosomal preparations from rabbit hippocampus were incubated with [3H]-choline and the release of the labelled products was evoked either by electrical stimulation or by high-K+, and the influence of various agents on the evoked tritium release was investigated. Forskolin, a specific adenylate cyclase activator, in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 30μM, increased the [3H]-ACh release in a dose-dependent manner and also dbcAMP increased the tritium outflow. The responses to oxotremorine, a specific muscarinic agonist, were characterized by decrement of ACh release in dose range of 0.1-30μM, and the oxotremorine effects were inhibited either by forskolin or by atropine. Glibenclamide, a specific K+-channel inhibitor, in concentration of 1 ~ 10μM, decreased the evoked ACh release slightly and inhibited the enhancing effect of evoked ACh-release of a large dose(10μM) of forskolin. These results indicate that the cAMP might play a role in the muscarinic ACh receptor-mediated control of ACh rlease in the rabbit hippocampus and suggest that certain potassium currents may also be participated in the post-receptor mechanism of ACh release.