We have attempted to clarify the physiological involvement of endogenous opiates in the steroid-mediated control of gonadotrophin release. Our studies showed that there was an acute reduction in the inhibitory effects of endogenous opiates on LH and FSH release following gonadectomy in the rat. This was indicated by a significant reduction in the ability of naloxone to stimulate serum LH/FSH levels (sampled at 15 min) in 26-day-old female rats 48 h after ovariectomy. Luteinizing hormone was highly sensitive to the inhibitory effects of the synthetic met-enkephalin analogue, FK 33-824, at this time (sampled at 90 min). An unexpected observation was that long-term absence of gonadal steroids also disrupted the ability of exogenous opiates, FK 33-824 and morphine, to influence LH release. This was seen as an inability of FK 33-824 (1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg) to inhibit LH secretion. The effects of gonadectomy on opiate control of LH occurred at all developmental stages and were not due to a disruption of sexual maturation. Opiate involvement in prolactin secretion did not appear to be adversely affected by an absence of gonadal steroids. Another novel aspect of this work was that the opiatergic component in the control of gonadotrophin secretion could be reinstated in long-term gonadectomized rats by treatment with oestradiol benzoate or testosterone propionate. Similarly, priming with increasing dosages of oestradiol benzoate which resulted in progressively lower LH levels gave larger naloxone in progressively lower LH levels gave larger naloxone responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)