Several inbred lines of rats were produced from noninbred stock of Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats, and several inbred lines were also produced from noninbred stock of Dahl salt-resistant (R) rats. There were significant differences (p less than 0.001) in blood pressure response to a high salt diet among the inbred S lines produced, which indicates that the original S stock obtained from Brookhaven Laboratories is not genetically homogeneous. There were no significant differences in blood pressure among the inbred R lines produced. One inbred strain of S and one inbred strain of R with the appropriate blood pressure responses were ultimately brother-sister mated for more than 20 generations. These inbred strains were called S/JR and R/JR respectively. Fulminant hypertension and marked vascular and renal lesions developed in the S/JR after 3 to 4 weeks on a high salt (8% NaCl) diet, and all S/JR were dead within 8 weeks on the high salt diet. In contrast, R/JR survived well on a high salt diet, and hypertension or vascular and renal lesions did not develop. Hypertension and associated vascular and renal lesions developed in S/JR on a low salt diet (0.4% NaCl), but this took 3 to 4 months. These characteristics are similar to those originally reported by Dahl for his noninbred, continuously selected stocks. The R/JR were found to have mild hydronephrosis at 4 months of age, which probably is genetically determined and which may have been fixed inadvertently in the strain during inbreeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)