The defensive airway reflexes during high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) were studied in anaesthetized, non-vagotomized (n = 16) and vagotomized (n = 11) rabbits. The animals were ventilated by a high frequency jet ventilator. Sneezing and coughing were evoked by mechanical stimulation of the airways. During HFJV spontaneous breathing was inhibited only in the non-vagotomized rabbits. Mechanical stimulation of the airways during HFJV evoked sneezing and coughing, in which the inspiratory component was inhibited. This inhibition occurred not only in defensive reflexes evoked from the regions with increased pressure (trachea, bronchi), but also from the nose. Vagotomy diminished but did not fully eliminate the changes in sneezing accompanying HFJV. The intensity of maximum expiratory efforts was not significantly affected by HFJV in both subgroups.