Sodium retention along with peripheral vasodilation are features of prehepatic portal hypertension. In several models of experimental liver damage, sodium retention occurs only when hepatic function, measured by the aminopyrine breath test (ABT-k), falls below a critical threshold. The relationship between renal sodium handling, ABT-k and systemic and renal haemodynamics in partial portal vein ligated (PVL) rats was examined to test hypothesis that peripheral vasodilation was responsible for initiating sodium retention. Haemodynamic measurements were conducted early after surgery in portal hypertensive rats with and without sodium retention and in sham-operated controls. Compared with control, both PVL groups of rats had elevated portal pressure and lower peripheral vascular resistance (P < 0.05). Sodium retaining-PVL rats had both lower ABT-k (0.95 +/- 0.05 vs 1.38 +/- 0.06 x 10(-2)/min; P < 0.05) and higher sodium balance (1.38 +/- 0.09 vs 0.43 +/- 0.09 mmol/day; P < 0.05) than non-sodium retaining PVL rats. No differences in plasma renin activity or noradrenaline concentrations were observed. In a separate group of rats, hydralazine-induced pheripheral vasodilation did not induce sodium retention. These results suggest that the presence of peripheral vasodilation alone is not sufficient to trigger a sodium-retaining status. A factor, probably liver function-dependent, acting directly on renal tubules may be necessary for changes in renal sodium handling in this model.