Nonexocytotic noradrenaline (NA) release was examined in rat cardiac synaptosomal-mitochondrial fractions prelabeled with [3H]NA (300 nM; 1 h at 37 degrees C). Ischemic conditions (1 mM iodoacetate + 2 mM NaCN; 15 min at 37 degrees C) evoked a Ca(2+)-independent release of [3H]NA from isolated synaptosomes, which represented 33.4% of total content, whereas the release evoked by 56 mM K+ was Ca2+ dependent and represented 5.8% of total content. Tyramine, phencyclidine (PCP), and rimcazole also caused important Ca(2+)-independent releases of [3H]NA (from 12 to 45% of total content) with median effective concentrations (EC50s) of 6.8, 182, and 41.8 microM, respectively. The release responses evoked by ischemic conditions, tyramine, PCP, and rimcazole were mimicked by the delta-receptor ligand, 1,3-ditolyl guanidine (DTG), and blocked by the uptake 1 inhibitor, desipramine (100 microM). The delta 1-receptors ligands, (+)-3-hydroxyphenyl-N-(1-propyl)piperidine ((+)-3-PPP) and (+)N-allylnormetazocine [(+)SKF-10047], were potent blockers of the release of [3H]NA evoked by ischemic conditions but not by PCP or rimcazole. These data indicate that ischemic conditions and PCP/delta 2-receptor ligands induce carrier-mediated NA efflux from cardiac sympathetic nerve terminals, whereas delta 1-receptor ligands produce marked inhibition of the ischemic response.