Angiotensin II is known to act primarily on the angiotensin AT(1) receptors to mediate its physiological and pathological actions. Des-aspartate-angiotensin I (DAA-I) is a bioactive angiotensin peptide and have been shown to have contrasting vascular actions to angiotensin II. Previous work in this laboratory has demonstrated an overwhelming vasodepressor modulation on angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction by DAA-I. The present study investigated the involvement of the AT(1) receptor in the actions of DAA-I on angiotensin II-induced vascular actions in the renal vasculature of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The findings revealed that the angiotensin receptor in rat kidney homogenate was mainly of the AT(1) subtype. The AT(1) receptor density was significantly higher in the kidney of the SHR. The increase in AT(1) receptor density was also confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. In contrast, AT(1) receptor density was significantly reduced in the kidney of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. Perfusion with 10(-9)M DAA-I reduced the AT(1) receptor density in the kidneys of WKY and SHR rats suggesting that the previously observed vasodepressor modulation of the nonapeptide could be due to down-regulation or internalization of AT(1) receptors. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed no significant changes in the content of AT(1) receptor mRNA and protein. This supports the suggestion that DAA-I causes internalization of AT(1) receptors. In the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat, no significant changes in renal AT(1) receptor density and expression were seen when its kidneys were similarly perfused with DAA-I.