The purpose of the present study was to determine 1) whether different organs undergo similar increase in vascular resistance in Dahl-Iwai salt-sensitive (S) rats, and 2) the effects of chronic oral L-arginine supplementation on the regional hemodynamics in S rats. Male 6-wk-old S rats and salt-resistant (R) rats were maintained on an 8% NaCl chow for 4 wk. One group (S or R rats) was maintained on tap water and the other group (S/Arg or R/Arg rats) received tap water containing L-arginine at a concentration of 1.5%. Organ blood flow and cardiac output were measured with microspheres in the conscious condition. Mean blood pressure in S, S/Arg, R, and R/Arg rats was 159 +/- 5, 138 +/- 3, 111 +/- 4, and 112 +/- 4 mmHg, respectively. Urinary excretion of protein and albumin in S/Arg rats was significantly suppressed compared with S rats. Concerning regional hemodynamics, the flow rate of the kidney was lower in S rats than in R rats, but there were no differences between S and R rats in the flow rates of the brain, heart, lung, liver, spleen, intestine, skeletal muscle, and skin. Thus the renal blood flow was solely reduced in S rats on a high-salt diet. The flow rate of the kidney in S/Arg rats was maintained at a higher level compared with that of S rats. L-Arginine treatment tended to produce a recovery in the urinary excretion of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate in S rats, but had no effect in R rats. Thus the supplementation of L-arginine prevented the increase in blood pressure in S rats on a high-salt diet and normalized the abnormality of renal hemodynamics accompanying salt-induced hypertension.