1. To examine the pathophysiological significance of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) in essential hypertension, we compared the renal response to intrarenally formed 5-hydroxytryptamine by oral dosing with its precursor, L-tryptophan (2 g), in nine patients with essential hypertension and in six subjects with normotension. 2. Before tryptophan administration, urinary excretion of 5-hydroxytryptamine was significantly higher in the hypertensive group than in the normotensive group (66 +/- 8 versus 36 +/- 6 ng/min, P less than 0.05), whereas renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate did not differ between the two groups. After dosing with tryptophan, urinary excretion of 5-hydroxytryptamine significantly increased to the same plateau level in both groups (366 +/- 55 ng/min in the hypertensive group and 365 +/- 64 ng/min in the normotensive group). Significant and equivalent decreases in renal plasma flow were observed in the early phase after tryptophan administration in both groups (-8.5 +/- 3.4% in the hypertensive group and -8.2 +/- 1.7% in the normotensive group). Thereafter, renal plasma flow increased to above the baseline value in normotensive subjects, whereas this late vasodilatation was absent in the hypertensive group. Glomerular filtration rate significantly decreased at the time of the fall in renal plasma flow in the normotensive group (106.8 +/- 7.8 to 92.7 +/- 8.5 ml min-1 1.73 m-2, P less than 0.05), whereas it remained unchanged in the hypertensive group (108.2 +/- 6.2 to 110.4 +/- 6.3 ml min-1 1.73 m-2, not significant).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)