Electrical stimulation of the rat A1 noradrenergic region produced excitation (77%) of the activity of putative vasopressin (VP)-secreting neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and produced excitation (4%), inhibition (26%) and excitation-inhibition (11%) of the activity of PVN neurons that were not antidromically identified by neurohypophysial stimulation. The excitatory response of putative VP-secreting neurons was blocked by microiontophoretically applied phentolamine, an alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, but not by timolol, a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist. The inhibitory response of unidentified PVN neurons, on the other hand, was blocked by timolol, but not by phentolamine.