In the rabbit renal artery, mechanisms of contraction by sodium depletion were investigated. The helical strips of isolated renal artery were immersed in the Tris-buffered salt solution. The contractions were recorded isometrically using a strain-gauge transducer. Na-free solution (Na was substituted by Li, choline or sucrose) produced contractions which were dependent on the nature of the Na substitutes. Na-free solution (choline) produced the contraction in ouabain-pretreated artery (Na loaded artery) even in the presence of verapamil. The amplitude of the contraction was dependent on the duration of the pretreatment with ouabain (10⁵ M). Monensin potentiated the effect of ouabain on the contraction. Removal of Ca from bathing solution abolished the contraction and the substitution of Sr for Ca produced the contraction. Divalent cations such as Mg, Mn blocked the depolarization-induced contraction, while they had little effect on the Na-free contraction in Na loaded artery. These results suggest that the contraction induced by Na removal is dependent on the cellular Na content and may be caused by Ca influx via the Na-Ca exchange carrier.