The effect of angiotensin II on Ca2+ mobilization in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells was examined. Angiotensin II (10(-7)M) increased the intracellular free Ca2+ level ([Ca2+]i) to a peak in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+, followed by decrease with time. Angiotensin II (10(-9)-10(-6)M) also stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux from cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Its stimulatory effect on 45Ca2+ efflux was inhibited by the angiotensin II antagonist [Sar1, Ile8]-angiotensin II or [Sar1, Val5, Ala8]-angiotensin II. The increase in angiotensin II-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux was dependent on the extracellular Na+ concentration. Angiotensin II also increased 22Na+ influx into the cells. These results indicate that stimulation of the angiotensin II receptor induces extracellular Na(+)-dependent Ca2+ efflux from cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, probably by acceleration of Na+/Ca2+ exchange.