Kidneys were samples from male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive rats (WKY) in four groups. Renal tissues were examined in 64 rats: 6 SHR and 6 WKY rats 8 and 16 weeks of age and 10 SHR and 10 WKY rats 32 and 64 weeks of age. Tissue samples were fixed, processed, and stained by routine histologic procedures. The parietal layer of Bowman's capsule in 100-115 renal corpuscles from right to left kidney sections was classified as squamous or cuboidal epithelium. The cuboidal epithelium was similar in structure to that of the proximal tubule. Quantitative information from right and left kidneys was pooled, because the data did not differ significantly. The percentages of renal corpuscles with proximal tubule-like epithelium present at the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule in the SHR was 13%, 35%, 44%, and 81% at 8, 16, 32, and 64 weeks, respectively. In WKY rats the values were 4%, 0.5%, 5%, and 13% at 8, 16, 32, and 64 weeks, respectively. The increase in the percentage of renal corpuscles with proximal tubule-like epithelium in SHR Bowman's capsules suggest an association between this tissue and hypertension. The modified layer of Bowman's capsule may be a response to an increase in blood pressure, may have some role in the etiology of hypertension, or may be irrelevant to hypertension.