The role of μ-, δ 1 - and δ 2 -opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens in pivoting was investigated in freely moving rats. Unilateral injections of the μ-opioid receptor agonist, [d-Ala 2 ,N-Me-Phe 4 ,Gly 5 -ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO, 1 and 2 μg) and the δ 2 -opioid receptor agonist, deltorphin II (1 and 2 μg), but not the δ 1 -opioid receptor agonist, [d-Pen 2 , 5 ]-enkephalin (DPDPE, 1-4 μg), into the shell or the core of the nucleus accumbens significantly induced contraversive pivoting. The pivoting induced by DAMGO (2 μg) and deltorphin II (2 μg) was inhibited significantly by the μ-opioid receptor antagonist, d-Phe-Cys-Tyr-d-Trp-Orn-Thr-Phe-Thr-NH 2 (CTOP, 0.1 and 1 μg), and the δ 2 -opioid receptor antagonist, naltriben (NTB, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. The DAMGO (2 μg)- or deltorphin II (2 μg)-induced pivoting was also inhibited significantly by co-administration of the dopamine D 1 /D 2 receptor antagonist, cis(Z)-flupentixol (1 and 10 μg). The pivoting induced by unilateral injections of a mixture of dopamine D 1 (SKF 38393, 5 μg) and D 2 (quinpirole, 10 μg) receptor agonists into the shell was significantly inhibited by cis(Z)-flupentixol (1 and 10 μg) or NTB (1 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.), but not CTOP (1 μg) or δ 1 -opioid receptor antagonist, (E)-7-benzylidenenaltrexone (1 mg/kg, i.p.). The contraversive pivoting elicited by the cholinergic agonist, carbachol (5 μg), into the core was inhibited by co-administration of the muscarinic M 1 antagonist, pirenzepine (1 μg), but not cis(Z)-flupentixol (1 μg). The results suggest that unilateral activation of μ- or δ 2 -opioid, but not δ 1 -opioid, receptors in the core and/or shell of the nucleus accumbens elicits contraversive pivoting that requires intact dopamine D 1 /D 2 receptors in the shell, but not intact muscarinic M 1 mechanism in the core. The study also shows that δ 2 -opioid, but not μ- and δ 1 -opioid, receptors in the core and/or shell modulate the shell-specific, dopamine D 1 /D 2 receptor mechanisms involved in the production of pivoting.