Studies of whole-kidney function and micropuncture measurements in superficial nephrons were performed to investigate the role of the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) in the excretion of salt and water in hydropenic and volume-expanded rats of the spontaneously hypertensive Milan strain (MHS). The rats were 3.5-5 and 5-7 wk old, and age-matched animals from the Milan normotensive strain (MNS) served as controls. There was no difference in mean arterial blood pressure (Pa) between the 3.5- to 5-wk-old prehypertensive MHS (MHSp) and MNS rats, but the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was higher in MHSp than in MNS [1.35 vs. 0.80 ml X min-1 X g kidney wt (KW)-1, P less than 0.01]. The distal single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR) was also higher in MHSp than in MNS (28.6 vs. 20.2 nl X min-1 X g KW-1, P less than 0.05). TGF was determined from both stop-flow pressure response and proximal and distal SNGFR. It was found that MHSp exhibited essentially no TGF response. During development of hypertension 5- to 7-wk-old MHS (MHSd) had a higher Pa than MNS (120 vs. 98 mmHg, P less than 0.01). Normally GFR and SNGFR increase with age, and such was the case with MNS (0.8 to 1.02 ml X min-1 X g KW-1 and 20.2 to 23.4 nl X min-1 X g KW-1), but in MHSd there was a decrease in both GFR and SNGFR with age (1.35 to 1.10 ml X min-1 X g KW-1 and 28.3 to 18.3 nl X min-1 X g KW-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)