We have developed a fetal rat hypothalamic cell culture system for the study of factors controlling the acute release of TRH. Release of TRH by the cells has been characterized by reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography and about 86% of the total immunoreactivity in the medium co-eluted with synthetic TRH. Release of TRH by the cells in response to 56 mmol K+/l increased between days 5 and 9 of culture but reached a plateau thereafter. Cell contents of TRH did not change significantly between days 5 and 14 of culture. Release of TRH from the cells was stimulated by K+ (56 mmol/l), veratridine (100 mumol/l) and ouabain (100 mumol/l) to 550, 480 and 335% of basal release respectively over a 1-h period. Release of TRH was dependent upon calcium in that it was absent when calcium-free medium was used and could be blocked by verapamil (20 mumol/l); however it could not be blocked by nifedipine (50 mumol/l). The calcium ionophore blocked by nifedipine (50 mumol/l). The calcium ionophore A23187 (1 mumol/l) stimulated TRH release to 340% of basal release. Tetrodotoxin (1 mumol/l) completely abolished the release in response to veratridine but had no effect on the release stimulated by K+ (56 mmol/l). The calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and triflupromazine (50 mumol/l) inhibited veratridine-stimulated TRH release. This was at a site after calcium influx as they also inhibited A23187-stimulated TRH release. The highly specific calmodulin antagonist W7 (10 mumol/l) also inhibited both veratridine and A23187-stimulated TRH release whereas, at the same concentration, its inactive analogue W5 did not significantly inhibit TRH release in response to either stimulus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)