The radiolabelled somatostatin analogs [125I-Tyr°, Z)Trp8]S14 and [Leu8, DTrp22, l25I-Tyr25]S28 were used as radioligands to study the distribution of somatostatin receptors in the rat hypothalamus. Previous studies have detected very few somatostatin-binding sites in the hypothalamus using in vitro autoradiography. Since the lack of autoradiographic labelling has been ascribed to the occupancy of the receptors by endogenous ligands, we have developed a method using guanosine triphosphate (GTP) pretreatment to unmask somatostatin receptors. Preincubation of brain slices with 10–6M GTP, by desaturating the occupied receptors, made it possible to reveal the wide distribution of somatostatin-binding sites in the rat hypothalamus. Somatostatin-14 binding site populations were observed in numerous hypothalamic areas including the preoptic area where the receptors likely account for self-inhibition of somatostatin release, the supraoptic nucleus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the anterior hypothalamic nucleus, the perifornical area, the zona incerta and a mediolateral area located laterally to the ventromedian and dorsomedian nuclei and limited laterally by the mammillo-thalamic tract, the fornix and the optic tract. All structures showing S14-binding sites were labelled by the S28 radioligand. In addition, the paraventricular parvocellular nucleus contained exclusively S28-binding sites, which could be involved in the inhibitory effect of S28 on CRF-mediated endocrine and sympathetic responses. A moderate density of S28-preferring sites was also detected in the periventricular nucleus. In summary, GTP preincubation of brain slices appeared to be a useful technique to reveal multiple somatostatin receptors populations in the brain. The widespread distribution of somatostatin receptors in the hypothalamus is in total agreement with the variety of physiological effects of the somatostatin peptide fami