The current study investigated the effects of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) substrate, N(G)-hydroxy-L-arginine (H-ARG) and the selective glutamate (GLU) reuptake inhibitor (2S)-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (PDC) on striatal dopamine (DA) and glutamate (GLU) efflux in vivo. Concentric microdialysis probes were stereotaxically implanted in the anterior-medial striatum of chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. Intra-striatal infusion of PDC (200 microM) elevated extracellular (EC) DA and GLU levels concurrently over a 10 fraction collecting period without affecting EC asparagine levels. Infusion of H-ARG (200 microM) for six 20-min fractions, also significantly elevated EC DA levels. In the presence of PDC (200 microM), co-perfusion of H-ARG (200 microM) resulted in supra-additive increases in EC DA levels. The synergistic effect of PDC and H-ARG infusion on DA efflux was attenuated by co-infusion of the NOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (100-200 microM). These results suggest that while both endogenous NO and GLU regulate striatal DA efflux via facilitatory influences, enhanced glutamatergic tone on striatal NOS-containing neurons may potentiate NO-synthesis and subsequently NO-induced DA efflux.