Experiments were done to determine whether there is a maturational increase in production of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) by glomeruli or in eggression of cGMP out of glomerular cells. Both preweaned and adult isolated rat glomeruli responded with an acute rise in intracellular cGMP after 0.5-min exposure to 0.1 microM ANP. However, at 4 h extracellular cGMP was significantly greater in ANP-treated adult compared with preweaned glomeruli (P less than 0.005). In the absence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) intracellular cGMP was significantly higher in preweaned glomeruli (P less than 0.05). Moreover, the specific activity of phosphodiesterases for cGMP hydrolysis was twofold less in preweaned glomerular membranes (P less than 0.004). Finally, probenecid decreased export of adult glomerular cGMP by 60 +/- 4%, whereas preweaned glomerular cGMP export decreased by only 27 +/- 4% (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, compared with adult, ANP-treated preweaned glomeruli export less cGMP out of glomerular cells, have a higher concentration of intracellular cGMP, and have lower cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase activity, and the organic ion transporter in preweaned glomerular cells exports cGMP less effectively. The limited transport of cGMP out of preweaned glomeruli may account for the blunted natriuretic and diuretic response following ANP stimulation of young rats.