The effects of direct administration of vasopressin into the preoptic anterior hypothalamus on thermoregulatory functions were assessed in conscious rats at various ambient temperatures. Intrahypothalamic administration of vasopressin caused fever, increased metabolic heat production and decreased heat loss (cutaneous vasoconstriction) in rats. There was no changes in respiratory evaporative heat loss in response to administration of these drugs. Furthermore, it was found that the fever reactions induced by intrahypothalamic vasopressin was antagonized by pretreatment of animals with an intrahypothalamic dose of either yohimbine (an alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist), propranolol (a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist), or sodium acetylsalicylate (a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor). The data indicate that a prostaglandin-adrenergic link occurs in the hypothalamic pathways which mediate the vasopressin-induced fever in rats.