The cardiovascular effects of the synthetic amino terminal fragment of parathyroid hormone, PTH(1-34), were studied in intact conscious sheep. Physiological doses of bovine (b) PTH(1-34), 0.188, 0.376, 0.56 and 0.75 micrograms kg-1 h-1 were infused in random order into conscious sheep for periods of 1 h each. Isotonic saline was infused as a control. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) decreased from 99.2 +/- 1.2 mmHg during the control infusion to 88.9 +/- 1.4 mmHg during infusion of the highest dose of PTH. Heart rate (HR) increased from 81.6 +/- 7.3 beats min-1 during the control infusion to 142.3 +/- 14.0 beats min-1 at the highest PTH dose and plasma renin activity (PRA) increased from 0.33 +/- 0.15 ng ml-1 h-1 to 1.54 +/- 0.46 ng ml-1 h-1. Cardiac output (CO), calculated by an indirect method, increased to 176 +/- 28% of the control values. The changes in all four parameters were dose dependent. Renal blood flow (RBF) increased during the PTH infusion period.