To assess the effects of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blockade on intrarenal hemodynamics of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), terazosin (0.015 or 0.03 mg/kg body wt) or saline was injected into SHR or normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) (age 16-18 wk). Single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR) and renal glomerular filtration rate were determined with [3H]inulin infusion; effective renal blood flow was measured with p-aminohippurate. Intrarenal efferent arteriolar, proximal tubular, stop-flow pressures measurements, and tubular fluid and efferent arteriolar samplings were obtained by micropuncture techniques. Terazosin reduced arterial pressure significantly in both rat strains, but only in SHR did alpha 1-inhibition decrease glomerular hydrostatic pressure (from 58.0 +/- 1.5 to 46.6 +/- 1.1 mmHg; P less than 0.05). Terazosin did not change SNGFR or single-nephron blood flow in either strain. As a result, only in SHR did efferent glomerular arteriolar resistances decrease (0.262 +/- 0.021 to 0.193 +/- 0.014 mmHg.ml-1.min; P less than 0.05). Glomerular ultrafiltration coefficient increased only in SHR (0.034 +/- 0.005 to 0.104 +/- 0.01; P less than 0.05). These results provide further support to the concept of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor hyperresponsiveness of efferent glomerular arteriolar in SHR but not WKY.