The participation of nitric oxide (NO) in serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT)-evoked chloride secretion in guinea pig distal colon was examined. Submucosal/mucosal segments were mounted in Ussing flux chambers, and an increase in short-circuit current ( I sc) was used as an index of secretion. Addition of 5-HT to the serosal side produced a concentration-dependent (10−7–10−5M) increase in I sc caused by chloride secretion. N G-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA) significantly reduced the 5-HT-evoked early (P-1) and late (P-2) responses to 61.1 and 70.6% of control, respectively. Neurally evoked response was also inhibited by l-NNA. The NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 10−4 M) increased basal I sc mainly because of chloride secretion. The SNP-evoked response was significantly reduced by tetrodotoxin but was unchanged by atropine or indomethacin. These results suggest that the 5-HT-evoked increase in I sc is associated with an NO-generating mechanism. Atropine significantly reduced the 5-HT (10−5 M)-evoked P-1 and P-2 responses to 71.8 and 19.7% of control, respectively. Simultaneous application of atropine andl-NNA further decreased the 5-HT-evoked responses more than either drug alone; application ofl-NNA and atropine decreased the 5-HT-evoked P-1 and P-2 responses to 68.5 and 39.2% of atropine-treated tissues, respectively. These results suggest that noncholinergic components of P-1 and P-2 responses are 71.8 and 19.7% of control, respectively, and that NO components of P-1 and P-2 responses are 32 and 61%, respectively, of the noncholinergic component of the 5-HT-evoked responses. The results provide evidence that NO may participate as a noncholinergic mediator of 5-HT-evoked chloride secretion in guinea pig distal colon.