We reported previously that blood vessels of domestic fowl contain angiotensin (ANG) receptors on 1) endothelium, mediating vasorelaxation via endothelium-derived relaxing factor and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate; 2) vascular smooth muscles, mediating neither relaxation nor contraction; and 3) presumably adrenergic nerve endings, transmitting vasopressor action via a release of norepinephrine. We aimed in the present study to determine fowl vascular ANG receptor subtypes and relate them to function. [Val5]ANG II (native fowl ANG II) increased mean arterial pressure of anesthetized, ganglion-blocker-treated fowl. The dose-pressor response curve for fowl ANG II was not altered by pretreatment (i.v.) with the ANG receptor subtype 1 (AT1) antagonist Dup-753 (losartan, 10 mg/kg) or the subtype 2 (AT2) antagonist PD-123319 (10 mg/kg). Furthermore, cumulative doses (1-20 mg/kg) of losartan or PD-123319 did not selectively inhibit ANG II-induced pressor responses. In reserpine- and prazosin-treated anesthetized fowl, [Val5]ANG II caused dose-dependent vasodepressor actions inhibited by neither losartan (10 mg/kg) nor PD-123319 (10 mg/kg). Likewise, [Val5]ANG II-induced vasorelaxation of fowl aortic rings in vitro was not inhibitable by PD-123319 or losartan (10(-5) M). Specific binding of 125I-labeled ANG II to the aortic endothelium was markedly displaced by ANG II, but not selectively by PD-123319 or losartan. Specific binding of 125I-ANG II ligand to the membrane fraction of aortic smooth muscles was displaced (50% inhibitory concentration) by [Val5]ANG II (3.3 x 10(-8) M) and slightly by PD-123319 (3.7 x 10(-5) M), but not by losartan or EXP-3174, an active metabolite of losartan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)