Glomeruli were isolated from rat kidneys using a passive sieving technique to study the mechanisms of basal and beta-adrenergic stimulated renin release. Glomeruli were enclosed within glass chambers and continuously superfused with Krebs media, or modified Krebs as described below, at a rate of 0.3 ml/min. The chamber effluent was collected in 10-minute fractions and measured for renin concentration (ng angiotensin I (A-1 generated) by radioimmunoassay. Basal renin was approximately 3 ng AI/ml/hr. Beta-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol (ISO), 178 micron M, increased renin concentration threefold (11 +/- 2 ng AI). The beta-blocker propranolol at 12 micron M halved ISO-stimulated renin, and at 120 micron M eliminated it. Doubling Krebs sodium concentration (280 mM) had no effect upon basal or ISO-stimulated renin release. Pretreating rast with DOCA and a high salt diet significantly reduced basal and abolished ISO-stimulated renin release. Increasing Krebs calcium (10 mM) did not affect basal but abolished ISO-stimulated renin release. Calcium-free Krebs had no significant effects. Increasing Krebs potassium (50 mM) increased basal renin fourfold (14 ng AI) while the absolute increase from basal due to ISO remained the same (23 ng AI). These results suggest that basal renin and ISO-stimulated renin are released via different mechanisms.