In the present study, we observed change in intracellular Ca2+([Ca2+]i) as measured with the fluorescent Ca2+-indicator fura-2 in association with force development of the rat basilar arteries during activation byK+ depolarizing solution and U46619, a thromboxane analogue, in the absence and the presence of calcitonin-gent related peptide (CGRP). CGRP (30 and 100 nM) caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of U46619-induced contraction with decrease in [Ca2+]i, whereas it did not exert any effect on the K+ (90 mM)-induced contraction and increase in [Ca2+]i, Further, [Ca2+]i-force relationships were determined by plotting the ratio of F340/F380 ([Ca2+]i) as a function of the force induced by U46619, and the results were compared with those obtained in the presence of CGRP. The curves obtained in the presence of CGRP (30 and 100 nM) were significantly moved to downward without right shift of the curves suggesting that CGRP inhibited the U46619-induced contraction only by mediation of reduction in [Ca2+]i with out any change in the sensitivity of contractile apparatus to Ca2+. The CGRP-induced attenuation of [Ca2+]i and force development was significantly inhibited under pretreatment with CGRP (8 ~ 37) fragment (100 nM), a CGRP1 receptor antagonist. Both the reduced contraction and reduction in [Ca2+]i caused by CGRP were fully reversed by pretreatment with charybdotoxin (100 nM) and iberiotoxin (100 nM), large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel blockers, but not by apamin (300 nM), a small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel blocker, and glibenclamide ( 1 μM), an ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker. In conclusion, it is suggested that the CGRP1 receptor, upon activation by CGRP, are coupled to opening of Ca2+-activated K+ channel and cause to decrease in [Ca2+]i, thereby leading to vasodilation of the rat basilar artery. However, it is not defined that the mechanism underlying vasodilation whether the K+ channel blockers, charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin directly block the CGRP receptors and that CGRP-evoked relaxation is dependent on the cyclic AMP or K+ channel opening or both actions.