Voltage-gated currents through Ca channels in rat melanotrophs in short-term primary culture were investigated in whole cell voltage clamp recordings, using Ba2+ ions as charge carrier. At potentials higher than -50 mV a transient current (It) was activated, which inactivated entirely during a 150-ms command pulse and reached a maximal amplitude at -10 mV. At potentials higher than -20 mV a second component (Is) appeared, which inactivated slowly and had its maximal amplitude between 0 and +10 mV. The relative amplitudes of It and Is differed between cells. Application of 40 microM NiCl2 reversibly blocked It while leaving Is intact, whereas 20 microM CdCl2 reversibly blocked Is, but not It. Nifedipine blocked Is concentration dependently, but did not affect It. The steady state inactivation of It occurred between -80 and -40 mV. The steady-state inactivation curve of Is was located between -60 and 0 mV. The latter inactivation curve showed two phases, which were fitted best by the sum of two Boltzmann equations, suggesting the existence of two populations of Is channels.