It has long been suggested that the cardiac atrium is a low pressure volume receptor controlling body fluid volume and blood pressure. Recently, the cardiac atrium has been found to contain a family of powerful peptides. To clarify the relationship between high blood pressure and the biologically active atrial peptides, experiments were done to define the characteristics of atrial natriuretic peptide secretion in the isolated perfused atria of renal hypertensive rats. Higher concentrations of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide and renin activity were observed in the two-kidney, one clip hypertensive rat compared to the normotensive rat. Atrial volume changes in response to pressure elevations were attenuated in hypertensive rats compared to normotensive rats. Incremental response to atrial volume changes in ANP secretion was accentuated in hypertensive rats. These date suggest that the accentuated atrial natriuretic peptide response to volume changes of hypertensive rats may be a physiological or pathphysiological adaptation to the high blood pressure and may be, at least in part, responsible for the elevated levels of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide observed in hypertensive rats.