The inhibitory effect of high and low molecular weight native and synthetic rat atrial peptides on oxygen consumption in isolated rat kidney mitochondria and slices was measured. Oxygen consumption by mitochondria was measured in the presence of succinate and/or adenosine diphosphate, furosemide, and low and high molecular weight native and synthetic rat atrial peptides. After the addition of succinate, adenosine diphosphate limiting respiration (State 4) increased in the presence of low, but not high, molecular weight native rat atrial peptides. Furosemide caused a significant decrease in State 4 respiration (p less than 0.001). Angiotensin II and arginine vasopressin did not alter State 4 respiration. The rate of oxygen consumption after the addition of saturating adenosine diphosphate in the presence of saturating succinate (State 3 respiration) was reduced by low and high molecular weight native rat atrial peptides. Furosemide completely blocked oxygen consumption after the addition of adenosine diphosphate. Oxygen consumption was unchanged by trypsin treated (natriuretically inactive) low molecular weight rat atrial peptides and ventricular protein extracts of high and low molecular weight native rat atrial peptides. Synthetic and low molecular weight native rat atrial peptides had similar effects on mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Low molecular weight native and synthetic rat atrial peptides decreased the adenosine diphosphate to oxygen ratio, and these peptides, as well as furosemide, also induced mitochondrial swelling; none of the other rat atrial peptide combinations nor angiotensin II produced this effect. In kidney slices, basal oxygen consumption (without substrates) was stimulated by succinate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)