1. Neurotransmitters released from nerve endings are inactivated by re-uptake into the presynaptic nerve terminals and possibly into neighbouring glial cells. While analysing the functional properties of alpha 1-adrenoceptors in the hypothalamus, we observed a high-affinity uptake process for noradrenaline in postsynaptic peptidergic neurones. 2. In primary hypothalamic cell cultures and in a hypothalamic neuronal cell line, [3H]-prazosin bound with high affinity and was displaced by unlabelled prazosin in concentrations of 10(-10) to 10(-7) M. However, at concentrations of unlabelled prazosin above 10(-7) M, there was a paradoxical increase in apparent [3H]-prazosin binding. 3. Methoxamine, an alpha 1-adrenoceptor ligand that is not subject to significant neuronal uptake, displaced [3H]-prazosin but did not cause the paradoxical increase in the apparent binding of [3H]-prazosin. Cooling the cells to 4 degrees C reduced the total amount of prazosin associated with the cells; under these conditions, methoxamine almost completely inhibited [3H]-prazosin binding to the cells. 4. In the presence of desipramine (DMI), unlabelled prazosin displaced [3H]-prazosin as before, but no paradoxical increase in apparent binding was seen above 10(-7) M. 5. The paradoxical increase of [3H]-prazosin binding was not observed in membrane preparations of hypothalamic neurones. These findings indicated that the paradoxical increase in apparent [3H]-prazosin binding was due to a cellular uptake process that becomes evident at high concentrations of the ligand. 6. DMI (10(-5) M) had no effect on the specific binding of [3H]-prazosin. The presence of alpha1-adrenoceptors was confirmed by binding of [125]-HEAT, but [3H]-idazoxan (an alpha2- ligand) did not bind to the cells.7. The uptake of prazosin obeyed the Michaelis-Menten model, with similar Km and Vmax values in both types of cultures.8. Noradrenaline was taken up with high affinity by both types of cultures. (+/-)-[3H]-noradrenaline uptake was reduced by DMI and by excluding sodium from the medium, indicating that this process has some of the properties of uptake 1. (+/-)-[3H]-noradrenaline uptake in the cell line was unaffected by testosterone.9. The measured uptake of (-)-noradrenaline in the cell line was considerably increased by blockade of catechol-omicron-methyl-transferase and monoamine oxidase, suggesting that (-)-noradrenaline is metabolized to lipophilic products that escape across the plasma membrane.10. Studies in rats, in which the noradrenaline isomer 6-hydroxydopamine was used, suggested that the post synaptic uptake process is operative in hypothalamic CRH and vasopressin neurones in vivo.11. The Km for (-)-noradrenaline was within the range for the high affinity uptake, process in noradrenergic neurones. Uptake takes place in concentrations at which noradrenaline activates alpha1-adrenoceptors.Removal of noradrenaline from the vicinity of the receptors may prevent desensitization,thus maintaining the responsiveness of postsynaptic neurones to the actions of the neurotransmitter.