Adrenomedullin 2 (AM2) (identical to intermedin)-like immunoreactivity (LI) was examined in the rat brain by immunohistochemistry after intracerebroventricular administration of colchicine (100 microg/rat) and chronic salt loading (2% saline to drink) for 5 days. In both vehicle-treated and euhydrated rats, AM2-LI neurons were observed in the hypothalamus and brainstem, including in the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, the median preoptic nucleus, the supraoptic nucleus (SON), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, the arcuate nucleus, the locus coeruleus, the nucleus of the tractus solitarius and the nucleus ambiguus. In colchicine-treated and salt loaded rats, AM2-LI neurons were visualized more strongly in the SON and the magnocellular part of the PVN than in those in each control. Some AM2-LI neurons appeared in the parvocellular part of the PVN in the colchicine-treated but not salt loaded rats. AM2-LI in the other areas of the hypothalamus and brainstem did not change after colchicine-treatment and chronic salt loading. These results suggest that AM2/intermedin in the hypothalamus and brainstem may play roles on neuroendocrine and autonomic functions, such as water/salt balance, in rats.