To further investigate the mechanism(s) of the exaggerated natriuretic response of hypertensives to volume expansion (VE; 1,800 ml iv isotonic saline over 3 h), the plasma levels of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were measured in 11 normal subjects (NT) and 12 patients with mild essential hypertension (HT). NT and HT groups were similar with respect to age and basal levels of renin, aldosterone and ANP (34.5 +/- 5.5 in NT and 32.5 +/- 6.3 pg/ml in HT, mean +/- SE). In response to VE, ANP increased to the same extent in both groups (a change of 19.3 +/- 5.2 in NT and of 22.2 +/- 7.1 pg/ml in HT) despite the finding of an exaggerated natriuretic response to VE in essential hypertension (36 +/- 3.5 in NT and 54.9 +/- 6.3 nmol/3 h in HT, P less than 0.02). In addition, the fall in hematocrit and serum protein associated with saline infusion was less marked in HT than NT. The change in ANP induced by VE was inversely correlated with the percent fall in hematocrit and the increment in the fractional excretion of sodium in both groups. These observations suggest that ANPs may participate in the control of the renal response to isotonic VE; however they do not support an unequivocal influence of ANP in the exaggerated natriuretic response to VE of patients with essential hypertension.