We measured the effect of a constant infusion of rat atrial extract on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), and plasma renin concentration (PRC) of bioassay rats. The infusion rate of the atrial extract was 0.038 ml/min, which represented 1.25 mg of homogenized atrial tissue/min. To ensure that dead space was cleared, clearance measurements during the atrial extract infusion were not begun until urine flow had increased and 300 microliter of urine had been excreted. In the first series of rats, control GFR was 0.69 +/- 0.05, increased to 1.04 +/- 0.06 during infusion of atrial extract, and then decreased to 0.72 +/- 0.08 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1 during the recovery period. In a second series, RPF was also measured. GFR increased from 0.92 +/- 0.02 to 1.15 +/- 0.05 ml X min-1 X 100 g-1, while RPF was unchanged. In both series, the increase in GFR was statistically significant. Constant infusion of atrial extracts had no significant effect on PRC. These studies provide evidence that an atrial factor can cause a large increase in GFR, which may contribute to the natriuretic effect of atrial extracts.