Most work with the male rat liver carbonic anhydrase isozymes in the past decade has centered on the cytosolic CA III and the mitochondrial CA V. This paper reports that the relative activity of both isozymes is altered in streptozotocin-diabetes. Carbonic anhydrase activity of perfused liver homogenates and disrupted, isolated mitochondria was measured by the mass spectrometric 18O decay technique at 37 degrees C. The contributions of the different isozymes were determined based on intracellular location and sensitivity to acetazolamide inhibition. Diabetes resulted in a twofold increase in the activity of CA V but a halving in the activity of CA III. This is the first time that liver CA V has been shown to be altered by physiological stress. The total carbonic anhydrase activity in the diabetic rat liver was unaltered compared with control rats; however, CA III never accounted for more than 50% of this activity. Since CA isozymes I, II, and IV together account for 30% of the CA activity in control rats and 70% in diabetic rats it is concluded that one or more of these isozymes is subject to regulation in the diabetic male rat. The increase in CA V during diabetes is in accord with this isozyme having an important function in provision of substrate for hepatic gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis.