Previous studies of glomerular permselectivity have indicated that both size selectivity and charge selectivity changes play a role in the pathogenesis of proteinuria. In this study, we measured Ficoll sieving coefficients, hemodynamic parameters, and urinary protein excretion rates in the FHH strain of fawn-hooded rats. These animals spontaneously develop systemic and glomerular hypertension, proteinuria, and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis at a relatively young age. Three groups of FHH rats were studied: two-kidney controls (2K), untreated uninephrectomized rats (CON-NX), and uninephrectomized rats treated with the angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril (ENA-NX). CON-NX rats had higher glomerular transcapillary pressures (delta P) and higher urinary excretion rates of both total protein (UpV) and albumin (UaV) than did 2K rats, whereas treatment with enalapril prevented both glomerular hypertension and the increased proteinuria. Ficoll sieving coefficients were significantly higher in both groups of NX rats compared with 2K rats only for Stokes-Einstein radii (rs) < or = 46 A. Fits of sieving data to pore models showed a small increase in the number of large, nonselective pores in NX, which was not prevented by enalapril treatment. Total clearances of Ficoll with rs = 36 A (the size of albumin) in CON-NX and ENA-NX groups were unchanged compared with 2K animals. In contrast, UaV in CON-NX rats was more than six times that of 2K and ENA-NX rats. Across groups, UpV, UaV, and the ratio (UaV)/(UpV) all correlated strongly with delta P.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)