Studies were made to test the responsiveness of dispersed pars intermedia (PI) cells to a number of secretagogues that are known to alter ACTH release from the pars distalis (PD) in vitro. In summary, (a) incubation in high [K+], which will increase ACTH release from the PD, did not alter ACTH release from the PI; (b) a crude extract of rat hypothalamus (HE) increased ACTH release from PD and PI; (c) the effect of HE was not due to its vasopressin content, since pretreatment of the extract with thioglycolic acid did not modify its ACTH-releasing activity and neither lysine nor arginine vasopressin stimulated ACTH release from the PI; and (d) a partially purified CRF preparation, which will stimulate ACTH release from the PD, did not alter ACTH release from the PI. We conclude that the hypothalamus contains a substance(s) that will stimulate ACTH release from the PI and that the ‘secretagogue’ is neither vasopressin nor the same CRF that will stimulate ACTH release from the