1 By using the sucrose gap technique, we have investigated the e ect of the metabolically stable P2Y receptor agonist, adenosine 5'-O-2-thiodiphosphate (ADPbS), on the membrane potential and tension in the circular muscle of the guinea-pig proximal colon. All experiments were performed in the presence of atropine (1 mM), guanethidine (3 mM), indomethacin (3 mM), nifedipine (1 mM), L-nitroarginine (L-NOARG, 100 mM) and of the tachykinin NK 1 and NK 2 receptor antagonists, SR 140333 (0.1 mM) and GR 94800 (0.1 mM), respectively. 2 ADPbS (100 mM for 15 s) evoked a tetrodotoxin-(1 mM) resistant hyperpolarization and contraction of the smooth muscle. In the presence of apamin (0.1 mM), the ADPbS-induced hyperpolarization was converted to depolarization and the contraction was potentiated while tetraethylammonium (TEA, 10 mM) did not a ect signi®cantly the response to ADPbS. The combined application of apamin and TEA reproduced the e ect observed with apamin alone. 3 Pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acids (PPADS, 30 mM) slightly but signi®cantly increased the ADPbS-induced hyperpolarization, while the contraction evoked by ADPbS was reduced by about 80%. Suramin (100 mM) did not a ect the ADPbS-induced hyperpolarization but totally blocked the ADPbS-induced contraction. In the presence of suramin (100 mM), a small relaxation of the circular muscle was observed upon application of ADPbS. 4 The contraction and hyperpolarization evoked by ADPbS were abolished in Ca 2+ -free Krebs solution. The blocker of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ pump, cyclopiazonic acid (10 mM) reduced contraction and hyperpolarization induced by ADPbS by about 60 and 50%, respectively. 5 A comparison of our present and previous ®ndings enables to conclude that at least 3 types of P2 receptors are present on the smooth muscle of the guinea-pig colon, as follows: (1) inhibitory P2 receptors, producing an apamin-sensitive hyperpolarization, which are activated by a,b-methylene ATP (a,b-meATP) and by endogenously released purines, sensitive to suramin and PPADS; (2) inhibitory P2 receptors, producing an apamin-sensitive hyperpolarization, which are activated by ADPbS and are resistant to suramin and PPADS; (3) excitatory P2 receptors, producing contraction, which are activated by ADPbS and are sensitive to suramin and PPADS. The data also support the idea of the existence of a restricted pool of specialized junctional P2 receptors producing the apamin-sensitive NANC inhibitory junction potential in response to endogenous ligand(s).