The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between plasma angiotensin II (ANG II) and ANG II receptor binding to the glomerulus following acute renal failure (ARF) induced by an injection of glycerol (50%, 10 ml/kg im). At 2 and 24 h after glycerol injection, ARF was documented by a rise in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (normal, 18.6 +/- 0.7; 2 h after glycerol 29.3 +/- 2.3; 24 h after glycerol, 103.0 +/- 12.0 mg/dl; P less than 0.002 each experimental vs. normal) and creatinine (normal, 0.41 +/- 0.02; 2 h after glycerol, 0.96 +/- 0.10; 24 h after glycerol, 2.40 +/- 0.30 mg/dl; P less than 0.001, experimental vs. normal groups). Plasma ANG II rose from a control of 15.8 +/- 3.1 to 26.9 +/- 4.4 pg/ml at 2 h and 49.5 +/- 8.6 pg/ml at 24 h after glycerol (P less than 0.05, experimental vs. normal). No changes in affinity or density of glomerular ANG II receptors were detected either at 2 or 24 h after glycerol injection despite the significant rise in plasma ANG II (glomerular ANG II receptors: normal, 1,000 +/- 61; 2 h after glycerol, 896 +/- 120; 24 h after glycerol, 936 +/- 80 fmol/mg). The 24-h infusion of ANG II in normal rats to achieve plasma levels identical to the 24 h ARF group caused ANG II receptor density to fall to 58.1 +/- 8.6% of control values (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)