We investigated the effects of restraint and footshock stress and norepinephrine treatment on gastric emptying. The gastric emptying was significantly inhibited by restraint stress. beta(3)-adrenergic antagonist canceled the inhibition of gastric emptying caused by restraint stress, while beta(1)-, beta(2)-, alpha(1)-, and alpha(2)-adrenergic antagonists did not affect the inhibition. Norepinephrine treatment also inhibited gastric emptying. The inhibition by norepinephrine treatment was canceled by beta(1)-, beta(2)-, and beta(3)-adrenergic antagonists, but not by alpha(1)- and alpha(2)-adrenergic antagonists. On the other hand, footshock stress did not affect gastric emptying. These results suggest that beta(3)-adrenoceptors play an important role in the inhibition of gastric emptying caused by restraint stress, while nonspecific beta-adrenoceptors are involved in that caused by norepinephrine treatment.