The in vitro release of pepsinogen was studied using a preparation of isolated gastric glands from rabbits. The pepsinogen content of the glands was estimated to be about 700 U/mg dry wt. Spontaneous release of pepsinogen was found to be less than 1% of the total per hour and relatively constant for at least 2 h. Pepsinogen release was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by both carbachol and isoproterenol. The cholinergic and beta-adrenergic stimulation was selectively inhibited by atropine and propranolol, respectively. Removal of external calcium inhibited the responses to both isoproterenol (partially) and carbachol (completely). Several agents, including histamine, prostaglandin (E2), and synthetic secretin, were found not to stimulate pepsinogen release. However, a crude secretin preparation (Boots) was found to produce significant stimulation. Dibutyryl cAMP increased pepsinogen release in a dose-dependent manner. Isoproterenol was found to increase the cAMP content of gastric glands and to stimulate adenylyl cyclase activity in homogenates. The beta-adrenergic stimulation of adenylyl cyclase was found to be selective for a population of gastric cells that was relatively depleted of parietal cells and distinct from the histamine-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity. The results indicate that pepsinogen secretion by the gastric chief cell is regulated, in part, by separate cholinergic and beta-adrenergic mechanisms and that both calcium and cAMP play a role in this regulation.