Rat hypothalamic slices sectioned with vibratome (containing paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei) were incubated in static microchamber and the Arginine vasopressin (AVP) released from the slices was measured by radioimmunoassay. The effect of glucocorticoids (GC) and other steroids on AVP release was investigated. The results were as follows: (1) AVP was steadily released at a rate of 9.06 +/- 1.23 pg/min for as long as 6 h (not including the 90 min for recovery of slices). (2) Corticosterone (B) inhibited AVP release within 20 min in a dose-dependent manner from 10(-7) to 10(-4) mol/L. (3) Cortisol, 17 beta-estradiol, or testosterone (10(-6) mol/L) also inhibited AVP release within 20 min, but dexamethasone, aldosterone, progesterone, RU486, or cholesterol had no significant effect. (4) RU486 (10(-5)-10(-3) mol/L) could partially block the rapid inhibitory effect of corticosterone. These results suggested that GC might exert in situ a regulatory negative feedback action on the AVP release from hypothalamus of rat through a non-genomic rather than a genomic mechanism.