Hormonal Regulation of and Ionic Requirements for in Vitro Release of Hypothalamic Peptides

Several neuropeptides have recently been identified within the central nervous system (see review in Snyder, 1980; Guillemin, 1978). Most of them are highly concentrated in hypothalamic areas important for neuroendocrine control (Vale et al., 1980; Elde and Hokfelt, 1978). Overlapping anatomical distributions (Hokfelt et al., 1980; Elde and Hokfelt, 1978; Fuxe, 1965) of several neuropeptides and neurotransmitters within these hypothalamic areas made it tempting to investigate neurotransmitter-neuropeptide interactions and their possible involvement in the adenohypophy-seal regulation (Kordon et al., 1980; Weiner and Ganong, 1978; Schally, 1978).