The effects of TRH upon neurohypophyseal hormone release were studied in conscious rabbits. Intravenous infusion of 250 nm/kg TRH had no significant effect on either arginine vasopressin (AVP) or oxytocin (OT) release, but a 5-fold greater dose led to significant increases in plasma levels of both AVP and OT and behavioral arousal. Intraventricular injection of 3 nm TRH produced significant elevations of both plasma AVP and OT, with even greater effects on behavior than after iv infusion. The maximal hormone response to intraventricular injection was observed considerably earlier than that for iv injection and the response occurred after an almost 1000-fold lower dose of TRH. Neither artificial cerebrospinal fluid vehicle nor the inactive analogue D-tyrosine2 TRH (p-Glu-d-Tyr-Proamide) had any effect on neurohypophyseal hormone release or on behavior. MK-771 [L-N-(2-oxopiperidin-6-YL-carbonyl)-L-histidyl-L-thiazolidine-4-carboxamide], a TRH analog with enhanced central nervous system effects, had effects on AVP and OT release comparable to equimolar doses of TRH. TRH stimulates release of both AVP and OT after both intraventricular and iv injection, and these effects may be independent of behavioral activation.