Substance P-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) is present in the rat anterior pituitary (AP) and in hypothalamic neurons that may be involved in the control of AP secretion and/or reproductive function. The presence of multiple SP-encoding mRNAs and tachykinin peptides and their regulation by steroid hormones were examined in APs and hypothalami from normal, gonadectomized, and steroid-treated male and female rats. SP-encoding mRNAs were identified by nuclease protection assays of RNA, and tachykinin peptides were identified by combined HPLC-RIA of tissue extracts, beta- and gamma-preprotachykinin (PPT) mRNAs and SP, neurokinin A, and neuropeptide gamma peptides were identified in the AP. The alpha-, beta-, and gamma-PPT mRNAs and SP, neurokinin A, neuropeptide gamma, neuropeptide K, and neurokinin B peptides were present in hypothalamic tissue. Previous studies have established that in the AP, SP is differentially regulated by gonadal steroids; estrogen decreases and androgen increases AP SP. Steroid effects were further analyzed in experiments using RIAs to measure SP levels in the AP and median eminence (ME) of steroid- and oil-treated gonadectomized rats. To assess whether steroids alter steady state PPT mRNA levels and presumably SP synthesis in these tissues, potential effects on AP and hypothalamic SP-encoding mRNAs were determined. Ovariectomized rats treated for 10 days with estradiol benzoate showed a 50% decrease in AP SP and a 90% decrease in AP beta- and gamma-PPT mRNAs compared to ovariectomized oil-treated controls. Estradiol benzoate replacement had no effect on SP levels in the isolated ME, but did cause a 50% increase in alpha-, beta-, and gamma PPT mRNAs in the hypothalamus. Although there was no significant effect of testosterone propionate on AP SP levels in castrated males, 10 days of testosterone propionate replacement did cause a significant increase in beta- and gamma PPT mRNAs in the AP. No androgen effects were seen on either ME SP or hypothalamic SP-encoding mRNAs. These data demonstrate that estrogen up-regulates SP-encoding mRNAs in the hypothalamus, whereas it down-regulates SP-encoding mRNAs in the pituitary. These results implicate SP and other tachykinins derived from the SP gene as steroid-regulated modulators of AP secretion and possibly reproductive function.