We studied, by whole-body autoradiography, the distribution of exogenously administered renal renin in rat. Rat renal renin was completely purified and labeled with 125I ([125I]-renin) and was then injected into the tail veins of conscious rats at a dose of 30 microCi, 430 ng. After various intervals, rats were killed by an overdose of ether, the whole body rapidly frozen in acetone-dry ice, and autoradiography performed on sagittal whole-body sections. To remove breakdown products ([125I]-tyrosine and free 125I) from [125I]-renin, sections were treated with perchloric acid solution. The main accumulation of [125I]-renin acid-insoluble radioactivity was observed in liver and renal cortex. The accumulation in these organs was already evident 2 min after the injection, reached a maximum level by 15 min, then gradually decreased. A small amount of [125I]-renin was also evident in spleen, bone marrow, and adrenal gland. Thirty min after the injection, radioactivity began to appear in the thyroid gland, stomach, and small intestine, but disappeared with acid treatment, except in the thyroid. Radioactivity was negligible in other organs including brain, submaxillary gland, lung, heart, and testis. These autoradiographs clearly demonstrate that exogenously administered renal renin is distributed mainly in the liver and renal cortex.