The induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) by cellular stress and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system by physiological stress are biological responses that aid in the maintenance of cellular and organismal homeostasis, respectively. Based on previous studies, we have hypothesized that HSPs play a functional role in neural and endocrine stress response mechanisms in mammalian organisms. To determine the endocrine and/or neural components regulating stress-induced HSP70 expression in vivo, we have employed the long-acting synthetic propylergoline dopamine agonist CQP 201-403 (CQP). We report the novel observation that CQP mimics the effect of restraint stress to induce HSP70 expression in both adrenal gland and aorta of the rat. The presence of CQP-induced HSP70 mRNA and protein was preceded by the activation of a protein factor capable of binding to the heat shock transcriptional control element. CQP-induced HSP70 expression in the adrenal gland was restricted to the cortex, as previously observed in restraint-stressed animals. However, the distribution of expression among the three cortical layers was distinct. Hypophysectomy virtually eliminated the effects of CQP on the adrenal gland and markedly reduced HSP70 induction in the aorta. Collectively, these results provide evidence that dopaminergic systems contribute to the physiological regulation of HSP70 expression in adrenal gland and aorta directly through actions on receptors in responsive tissues and/or indirectly through the release of pituitary hormones.