Developmental changes in levels of oxytocin in the blood and the pituitary gland and in oxytocin responses to oxytocin-releasing stimuli were investigated in the rat from the fetus close to term to the 40-day-old young adult. The oxytocin content of the pituitary gland rose gradually from fetuses of 21 days of gestation to 40-day-old rats. Pituitary oxytocin levels expressed in terms of body weight also increased up to day 25 after birth and declined slightly thereafter. In contrast, serum concentrations of oxytocin increased from day 21 of pregnancy up to day 5 after birth but were stable thereafter. Oxytocin levels in both blood and the pituitary gland were equal in 23-day-old fetuses and 1-day-old infants born on day 22 of pregnancy. There was no difference in serum and pituitary oxytocin levels in newborn pups and unborn littermates of day 22 or 23 of gestation. The i.p. injection of hypertonic saline induced a significant increase in serum oxytocin levels on day 5 and later, but no effect in the fetus on day 22 of gestation and in the 1-day-old infant. The responsiveness to the osmotic stimuli increased after 5 days of age. The i.p. injection of diethyldithiocarbamate, a noradrenaline synthesis inhibitor, or phenobarbitone was effective in raising blood oxytocin levels only in rats older than 10 and 20 days of age respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)