The pharmacokinetics of prazosin were studied in 10 patients (7 male and 3 female, Group I) with permanent hypertension and chronic renal failure (serum creatinine 40,5 +/- 5,9 mg/l) and in 10 normal subjects (10 male, Group II). Each patient received a single oral dose of 2 mg of prazosin; serum levels were studied at regular intervals over a ten hour period by spectrofluorometry Clinostatic blood pressure was measured with a mercury manometer in the patients in Group I. The rate of absorption of prazosin was identical in the two groups (t max: I,3 +/- 0,2 h and I,6 +/- 0,4 h). Maximal serum concentrations were significantly higher in Group I (33,5 +/- 3,7 microgram/1 compared to 22,0 +/- 2.5 microgram/l, p less than 0,02) as was the surface under the serum concentration curve plotted against time (206,I +/- 31.I microgram.h.l-1 compared to 99,9 +/- 12,3 microgram.h.l-1, p less than 0,01). Prazosin induced a significant fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-19% and -23% respectively, p less than 0.001) in Group I, 90 minutes after administration, associated with a moderate rise in heart rate (+16%, p less than 0.01). The variation of blood pressure induced by prazosin correlated closely with its serum concentration (p less than 0.001). These results suggest that the bioavailability of prazosin is significantly higher in chronic renal failure and that a reduction of the daily dose should be envisaged in these patients on long-term therapy.