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Oxytocin-binding sites were detected by autoradiography on rat brain sections incubated in the presence of the [³H]oxytocin. These sites were characterized pharmacologically using quantitative autoradiography. High pressure liquid chromatography controls of the incubation media indicated that labelling was due to the intact [³H]oxytocin molecule. Pharmacological analysis of different locations (central amygdaloid nucleus, ventral subiculum and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) showed that the sites detected had a high affinity for oxytocin and also for arginine-vasopressin. In contrast, some areas known to bind vasopressin intensely, such as suprachiasmatic and lateral septum nuclei, had little or no affinity for oxytocin. Autoradiographs revealed [³H]oxytocin-binding sites in already known brain areas (olfactory centres, ventral subiculum, central amygdaloid nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis) albeit …