Previous in vivo studies reporting a dose-dependent increase in extracellular dopamine (DA) levels by excitatory amino acid (EAA) antagonists have been interpreted to indicate a lack of tonic excitatory effect exerted by these amino acids on striatal DA release. Alternatively, a tonic excitatory influence on DA release may affect a small fraction of DA terminals, so that blockade of this effect does not make a great enough contribution to the extracellular fluid to be detected by microdialysis. To examine this possibility, the effect of EAA antagonists was assessed by microdialysis in the presence of DA uptake blockers. It was found that in the presence of nomifensine or cocaine, antagonists of either NMDA or AMPA/kainate receptors decreased extracellular DA levels in the striatum. These data suggest that EAAs may exert a tonic facilitatory influence on striatal DA release and/or that endogenous EAAs may potentiate the action of DA uptake blockers through mechanisms that are mediated by EAA receptors.