We have previously shown that Na+-K+ pump activity (ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake) is decreased in vascular tissue of animals with various forms of low renin hypertension. In the present study we measured Na+-K+-ATPase activity, the energy source for Na+-K+ pumping, in membrane fractions prepared from myocardial tissue of rats with chronic one-kidney, one-clip hypertension and their one-kidney normotensive controls. Membranes were prepared by two independent methods: microsomal fractions (method 1) and fractions prepared by the hypotonic LiBr method of Dhalla et al. (method 2). In membranes prepared from left ventricles of the hypertensive rats (by method 1) Na+-K+-ATPase activity was decreased, Mg2+-ATPase activity was increased, and the sialic acid content and 5'-nucleotidase activity (two putative membrane markers) were unchanged relative to the control rats. The sensitivity of cardiac Na+-K+-ATPase to inhibition by ouabain was also unchanged. Na+-K+-ATPase activity was also decreased in the right ventricles (method 1) of these hypertensive rats, suggesting that this defect is probably not pressure related. In membranes prepared from the left ventricles of the hypertensive rats by method 2, Na+-K+-ATPase activity was again reduced, whereas the Mg2+-ATPase and 5'-nucleotidase activities were unchanged relative to the controls. These studies suggest that myocardial Na+-K+-ATPase activity is suppressed in rats with this low renin form of hypertension and the possible effect of this suppression on myocardial contractile activity is discussed.