Pre‐and postjunctional control mechanisms of the portal vein of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were characterized. Emphasis was placed on the influence of the presynaptic beta‐adrenoceptor mediated mechanism for regulation of neuronal noradrenaline (NA) release (studied as tritium overflow) and its consequences for the contractile response under in vitro conditions. It was found that isoprenaline increased, whereasdl/‐propranolol decreased the release of neuronal NA during transmural nerve stimulation, while effector responses remained unaltered.d‐Propranolol and the beta‐1 selective adrenoceptor antagonist, metoprolol, did not affect these two variables. It is concluded that the presynaptic beta‐adrenoceptors in the rat portal vein are mainly of the beta‐2 type and mediate facilitation of neuronal transmitter release and that concomitant changes of the effector responses of this tissue are below the level of detection under the present experiment