Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) has been described to act as a regulator in many cells and tissues, including epithelia, and in the gastrointestinal tract ATP is one of the substances involved in non-cholinergic non-adrenergic control. However, very little is known about the effect of ATP on pancreatic ducts, which normally secrete bicarbonate-rich fluid in response to secretin. Hence, the aim of our present study was to test the effect of ATP and other nucleotides on intracellular Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i) of pancreatic ducts, and thereby get information about purinergic receptors that might play a role in the regulation of pancreatic bicarbonate transport. Native intralobular ducts were obtained from rat pancreas and [Ca2+]i in 10-20 cells was measured using the fura-2 method. ATP (10(-4) mol/l) evoked a characteristic biphasic Ca2+ transient in duct cells. Nucleotides, used to classify the P2 receptors, acted with the following potency on the peak Ca2+ in many ducts: uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP) >/= ATP >inosine 5'-triphosphate >/= 2-methylthio-ATP > beta,gamma-methyl-ATP > adenosine. However, although the peak [Ca2+]i responses to ATP and UTP were similar, the plateau [Ca2+]i was nearly doubled with UTP. Moreover, in about one-third of the ducts studied, UTP had no effect on cell Ca2+, while the response to ATP was normal. In further experiments we found that removal of extracellular Mg2+ increased the peak [Ca2+]i evoked in response to ATP. 2'&3'-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl) ATP (BzATP) evoked a monophasic and slower increase in [Ca2+]i, which was inhibited by removal of extracellular Ca2+, or by addition of 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2, 2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS). Taken together, our data indicate that there are two types of purinergic receptors on pancreatic ducts through which ATP can act. These are pharmacologically known as P2U and P2Z receptors and may correspond to P2Y2 and P2X7 receptors.