To investigate whether intranephron prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) differs from that in Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), we measured PGE2 accumulation rates in microdissected nephron segments from 4- to 6- and 12- to 14-wk-old male rats by radioimmunoassay. In both young and adult WKY, PGE2 accumulation was highest in the papillary collecting duct (PCD) and outer medullary and cortical collecting tubules, intermediate in the glomerulus (Glm), medullary and cortical thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop, and distal tubule, and negligible in the proximal tubule. PGE2 accumulation in adult WKY was severalfold higher than that in young WKY. PGE2 accumulation in adult and prehypertensive young SHRSP was significantly lower than that of respective WKY in most segments, whereas urinary PGE2 excretion was significantly higher in SHRSP than in age-matched WKY. Plasma arginine vasopressin concentrations in adult SHRSP were significantly higher than in WKY. PGE2 accumulation stimulated by 5 microM arachidonic acid was significantly lower in SHRSP than in WKY in most segments of young rats but was lower only in Glm and PCD of adult rats. PGE2 accumulation stimulated by 2 microM Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was significantly lower in most segments of adult and young SHRSP. These results indicate that a decrease in renal tubular PGE2 productive activities in SHRSP might not be caused by secondary adaptation to hypertension.