Evolution of the (arginine)-vasopressin (AVP) content of the supraoptic (SON), paraventricular (PVN) and suprachiasmatic nuclei (SchN) and of the posterior lobe of the hypophysis (PLH) has been studied in rats at successive stages of rehydration after 4 days deprivation of drinking water. Particular attention has been focussed on short periods of rehydration. Evolution of the AVP content of the hypothalamo-posthypophysial system (HHS), the blood serum AVP concentration and osmolalities of serum and urine were compared. Variations of the AVP content in the different hypothalamo-hypophysial structures are parallel. A marked depletion of AVP is observed after 2 and 4 days of dehydration. The AVP content of the PLH and of the hypothalamic nuclei shows two dramatic and short increases 15 min and 3 h after the onset of rehydration; these results are discussed in relation to the known physiological regulation mechanism of the HHS. In the PLH depleted by dehydration, reloading with neurosecretory granules (NSG) begins to be noticeable only after 24 h of rehydration, so that it does not seem to account for elevations of the AVP content occurring earlier. These could be related to a marked increase of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) network taking place in axons and nerve endings before the NSG reloading.