Sodium ions play an important role in vitro and in vivo in the regulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors. The in vitro effect of sodium on cerebral and renal alpha-adrenoceptors was investigated in Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats. Cerebral alpha 2-adrenoceptor densities were higher in Dahl salt-resistant rats. In contrast, the renal alpha 2-adrenoceptor density was higher in Dahl salt-sensitive than in Dahl salt-resistant rats. No difference in cerebral and renal alpha 1-adrenoceptor densities was observed between the two types of rat. Noradrenaline contents in the cerebral and renal cortex were also similar in these two rat substrains. An influx of sodium ions markedly increased cerebral and renal high-affinity alpha 2-adrenoceptor densities in Dahl salt-sensitive but not in Dahl salt-resistant rats. Under these conditions alpha 1-adrenoceptor densities remained unchanged. The absence of sodium regulation in Dahl salt-resistant rats may be linked either to a particular receptor conformation or to an abnormal structure of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor system. We conclude from the present study that there are marked differences in density and in the role of sodium regulation of cerebral and renal alpha 2-adrenoceptors from salt-sensitive and salt-resistant Dahl rats. These differences may play a primary role in the resistance or in the sensitivity of salt-induced hypertension.