Isoprenaline and forskolin increase evoked vasopressin release from rat pituitary.

Isolated neurointermediate lobes of rat pituitaries were incubated in Krebs solution. The vasopressin release evoked by electrical stimulation (0.2 ms, 80 V, 15 Hz, 10 s trains at 10 s intervals for a total of 10 min) was completely inhibited by tetrodotoxin. Isoprenaline increased the evoked vasopressin release to a maximum of 60% (EC50 10 nM) and this effect was antagonized surmountably by propranolol. Forskolin increased the vasopressin release by 98%. These results suggest the presence within the neurohypophysis of a beta-adrenoceptor-linked adenylate cyclase facilitating vasopressin secretion.