The effects of intramuscular administration of neostigmine and physostigmine on Na+,K+-ATPase activity in various cerebral subdivisions were examined in rats. In CNS and peripheral tissues, both agents rapidly and significantly reduced activity of cholinesterases by 30-50%. The development of intoxication did not change the marker indices of stress reaction. In the cerebral cortex, physostigmine increased Na+,K+-ATPase activity, whereas neostigmine suppressed it. In addition, neostigmine decreased activity of this enzyme in the cerebellum. In contrast, both agents produced no effects on Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the striatum. The data corroborate the view on functional interaction between Na+,K+-ATPase and nicotinic cholinoreceptors in rat cerebral cortex.