The effects of sinoaortic denervation (SAD) on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (R: heart weight/total body weight; LVT : left ventricular thickness), myocardial beta-adrenergic receptivity ([125I]CYP binding; adenylate cyclase activity) and plasma catecholamine levels (HPLC) were investigated in both normotensive (group 1) and hypertensive dogs evaluated (group 2) 1 and 18 months (group 3) after SAD. Noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) plasma levels were 461 +/- 54 and 85 +/- 45 pg/ml in controls, 861 +/- 185 and 191 +/- 23 pg/ml in group 2 (P < 0.05) and were normal in group 3 (426 +/- 132 and 110 +/- 16 pg/ml). R and LVT values were higher (p < 0.05) in SAD dogs (R = 7.7 +/- 0.1 and 7.8 +/- 0.2; LVT = 13.6 +/- 1.3 and 14.2 +/- 0.9 mm in groups 2 and 3 respectively) than in group 1 (R = 6.7 +/- 0.1, LVT = 9.3 +/- 0.8 mm). In group 1, the total number of beta-adrenoceptors (beta-AR) was 37 +/- 11 and 29 +/- 6 fmol/mg prot in left ventricule (LV) and right auricle (RA) respectively. Bmax was significantly lower in group 2 (LV: 10 +/- 3; RA: 13 +/- 2 fmol/mg prot, p < 0.05) than in group 1 but was normal in group 3 (LV: 37 +/- 3 and RA: 31 +/- 3 fmol/mg prot).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)