Angiotensin II effects on cyclic AMP production and steroid output were studied in a sensitive preparation of isolated rat adrenal glomerulosa cells. With increasing concentrations of angiotensin II logarithmic dose-response curves for aldosterone and cyclic AMP production were similar. The minimum effective dose (0.2nm) for stimulation of aldosterone production also significantly (P<0.001) increased cyclic AMP output. For both aldosterone and cyclic AMP production, the peptide hormone concentration eliciting maximal response (0.2mum) and the ED(50) (median effective dose) values (1nm) were the same; this is consistent with cyclic AMP acting as an intracellular mediator for angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone production by glomerulosa cells. The angiotensin II antagonist [Sar(1),Ala(8)]angiotensin II inhibited angiotensin II-stimulated corticosterone and aldosterone production in these cells. An equimolar concentration of antagonist halved the response to 20nm-angiotensin II, and complete inhibition was observed with 0.2mum-antagonist. In contrast, [Sar(1),Ala(8)]angiotensin II had no effect on maximally stimulated steroidogenesis induced by serotonin and a raised extracellular K(+) concentration. Increasing concentrations of [Sar(1),Ala(8)]angiotensin II alone decreased corticosterone and aldosterone outputs significantly (P<0.05) at concentrations of 20nm and 2nm of antagonist respectively. A significant (P<0.001) decrease in cyclic AMP production occurred with 2mum antagonist and this was comparable with the decrease in aldosterone production. It is concluded that [Sar(1),Ala(8)]angiotensin II can independently affect glomerulosa-cell steroidogenesis, possibly by modulating adenylate cyclase activity.