Growth hormone (GH) pulses in vivo are associated with increased hypothalamic portal growth hormone releasing hormone (GH-RH) concentration and can be prevented by GH-RH antisera. GH pulses are also associated with prior reduction of portal somatostatin (SRIF) concentrations, although SRIF antisera do not abolish GH pulses. In vitro, pulses of GH-RH as well as SRIF withdrawal are followed by pulses of GH release; the presence of GH-RH enhances post-SRIF GH release. We asked four questions: (1) During combined GHRH-SRIF exposure in vitro, must SRIF withdrawal be complete to produce a pulse of GH release, or is there a threshold diminution of SRIF which permits it? (2) When pulsatile GH release does occur, is it an all-or-none phenomenon, or is it titratable by fractional reduction of SRIF? (3) Does varying the GH-RH concentration while administering SRIF systematically alter GH release in response to fractional SRIF reduction? (4) Given a small but distinct effect of GH-RH on release of stored prolactin (PRL) in this system, does fractional SRIF reduction alter PRL release in parallel? Rat pituitary tissue whose hormone stores had been prelabeled with tritium was perifused for 120 min in combined 25 nM SRIF and 3 or 10 nM rat GH-RH (rGH-RH). Then, while maintaining rGH-RH concentrations, the SRIF concentration was left unchanged (control) or was reduced to 20, 15, 10, 5, or 0 nM for 60 min. Release of stored rGH and rPRL was assessed by immunoprecipitation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)