The beta-adrenergic blockade-induced reduction in myocardial norepinephrine overflow during sympathetic stimulation was examined by use of the multiple indicator-dilution technique. A kinetic model incorporating the effects of flow, capillary permeability surface product for norepinephrine, the interstitial uptake rate constant for neurotransmitter, and plasma norepinephrine input and output values was used to estimate the rate of local release of norepinephrine into the interstitial space. The model was tested by first examining the effects of two drugs that increase myocardial norepinephrine overflow during sympathetic stimulation by differing mechanisms: desmethylimipramine, a norepinephrine uptake inhibitor, and phentolamine, an alpha-adrenergic blocker. The uptake inhibitor was demonstrated to reduce interstitial uptake and the alpha-blocker to increase local neurotransmitter release, without change in blood flow. The beta-adrenergic blocker, in contrast, reduced coronary blood flow and decreased the capillary norepinephrine permeability surface product but did not change the rate of local release. The decreased norepinephrine overflow after beta-blockade was deduced to result from the decrease in transcapillary flux and secondary increase in interstitial uptake.