Dopamine addition to the internal fluid bathing the isolated frog skin results in a strong increase of short circuit current (SCC) across this tissue. The effect is dose-dependent, 10(-4) M being the dose resulting in maximal effect. The measure of transepithelial fluxes of both 22Na+ and 36Cl- across symmetrical parts of skin short-circuited in permanence demonstrates that this effect is due to stimulation of Na+ adsorption and Cl- secretion. The former effect, but not the latter one, is mimicked by both SKF89124A and SKF82525J (D1 and D2 agonists, respectively). Moreover the effect of dopamine on SCC and Na+ net flux is wider than that of its synthetic agonists even when both D1 and D2 agonists were added together. It is suggested that the extraeffect of dopamine on SCC is due to a stimulation of Cl- secretion, probably mediated by dopamine interaction with another receptor.