Electrical activity in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei associated with neurohypophysial hormone release.

1. Unit recordings were made from the hypothalamus in anaesthetized male rats using steel or glass micro-electrodes.2. Stimuli which are known to release vasopressin and oxytocin (electrical stimulation of the central end of the severed right vagus nerve and intracarotid injection of CaCl(2) solution) also excite units in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. In addition, these units are excited by intracarotid injections of carbachol, acetylcholine and NaCl (5%) which are less effective stimuli for vasopressin release.3. These stimuli also excite units from which potentials can be evoked by stimulation of the pituitary stalk and which are likely to be neurosecretory neurones. Neurosecretory neurones can conduct electrical impulses like other less specialized nerve cells. Estimations of conduction velocity range between 0.4 and 1.3 m/sec.4. The proportion of units in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei which are excited and the degree of excitation corresponds approximately to the amount of vasopressin released by the stimuli. In addition, excitation of the supraoptic nucleus seems to be more directly associated with vasopressin release and excitation of the paraventricular nucleus with oxytocin release.