The dynamics of the release of human placental lactogen (hPL) under basal conditions and response to various secretogogues has been studied in perifused enriched hPL-producing cells from term placentae prepared by the isopycnic centrifugation of collagenase/hyaluronidase-dispersed placental cells on Percoll gradients. Under basal conditions, the perifused cells released hPL at a relatively constant rate for up to 24 h in culture. The mean rates of hPL release from cells (5 x 10(6) cells) from 18 normal full-term placentae varied from 1.8 to 20.2 ng/5 min (mean 7.7 ng/5 min). The cells from term placentae, however, did not release detectable amounts of chorionic gonadotrophin or the cytosolic enzymes lactic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase. The amounts of hPL released by the perifused cells were inversely related to cell density with mean rates of hPL release by 2, 5, and 10 x 10(6) cells of 15.8, 8.6, and 5.7 ng/10(6) cells/0.5 h. The perifused cells responded to provocative stimuli (high-density lipoproteins (HDL), apolipoproteins AI, AII, and CI, partially purified hPL-releasing factor, phorbol esters, sn-1,2-diacylglycerol, and cAMP) in a manner qualitatively similar to enriched trophoblast cells and placental explants in static culture. Release of hPL in response to HDL, apoproteins AI, AII, and CI, and partially purified hPL-releasing factor was dose-dependent and occurred within 5 min of exposure. Basal and stimulated hPL release by perifused trophoblast cells that had been previously frozen at -70 degrees C for four weeks was identical to that of freshly dispersed cells from the same placenta. These experiments indicate that perifused trophoblast cells may be used as a model system to examine the dynamics of hPL release under basal conditions and in response to provocative stimuli.