To assess a role for peripherally administered angiotensin II (ANG II) in regulating vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone, ADH) release, the effects on plasma ANG II and ADH of intraperitoneal injections of ANG II dissolved in various solutions were examined in conscious rats. Plasma ANG II and ADH were determined by radioimmunoassay using the trunk blood collected after decapitation. Injections of 150 mM NaCl containing ANG II (6, 12, or 24 micrograms X 2 ml-1 X 100 g body wt-1) caused dose-related increases in plasma ANG II 15 and 30 min after, but plasma ADH remained unchanged. The lack of effect on plasma ADH of the ANG II dissolved in isotonic saline was also confirmed in another series of experiments in which the solution with a higher ANG II concentration was loaded by much smaller injection volume (14.3 micrograms X 0.1 ml-1 X 100 g-1). However, when given together with 600 mM NaCl, ANG II (8 micrograms X 2 ml-1 X 100 g-1) significantly potentiated the plasma ADH response to the vehicle at 15, 30, and 60 min, without affecting those of plasma osmolality, sodium, and hematocrit. The elevations of plasma ANG II and osmolality brought about by the treatment were comparable with those previously observed in rats deprived of water for 46 h. ANG II was without effect on the plasma ADH responses to the intraperitoneal injections of hypertonic sucrose or mannitol solution that did not alter plasma sodium, although these solutions were equipotent to 600 mM NaCl in augmenting plasma ADH and osmolality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)