Studies were conducted to determine whether reduced renal blood flow (RBF) exhibited by rats with uncontrolled, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes is attributable to diabetes-associated, enhanced renal vasoconstrictor influence of endogenous thromboxane (TX)A2. Rats which were injected with STZ after pretreatment with 3-O-methyl glucose (3OMG), an agent which prevents STZ-induced hyperglycemia, were also studied. Basal values of total RBF (RBF; ml min-1 gKw-1; electromagnetic flow probe), systemic arterial pressure (BP; mm Hg) and renal vascular resistance (RVR;BP RBF-1)in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats during a control period were 5.9 ± 0.3(P<0.1VS. CR), 115 ± 3 and 20.3 ± 1.0(P<0.1VS. CR) for STZR (n=15), and 8.4 ± 0.4, 123 ± 3 and 15.1 ± 0.8 for age-matched control rats (CR; n= 15), respectively. Basal values of RBF, BP and RVR in 3OMG pretreated STZR were identical to CR. In preparations shown capable of renal vasodilatation, OKY 1581 (1 mg/kg, i.v. followed by 0.4 mg/kg min infusion) abolished arachidonate-induced TXA2 synthesis, but did not alter basal BP, RBF or RVR in either STZR or CR (n=4/group). Similarly, i.r.a. infusion of SQ29548 (100 ng/ml RBF) abolished renal vasoconstriction induced by a TX/prostaglandin endoperoxide mimic, U46619, but had no discern able affect on RVR in either STZR (n=8) or CR (n=8). The data indicates that TXA2 does not participate in the elevated basal RVR of STZR which are associated with the diabetic state.