The effects of sequential prostacyclin infusions at 2, 4, and 8 ng/kg/min for 1 hr were determined in six patients with chronic renal failure. Diastolic blood pressure decreased in a dose-dependent fashion from 74 +/- 4 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) to 70 +/- 4, 66 +/- 5, and 55 +/- 5 during the 2, 4, and 8 ng/kg/min infusions, respectively; systolic blood pressure was not affected by prostacyclin. The fall in diastolic blood pressure was associated with a progressive rise in heart rate from 77 +/- 3 to 91 +/- 4 bpm and lowering of body temperature from 36.7 +/- 0.1 to 36 +/- 0.2 degrees. The threshold concentration of adenosine diphosphate that evoked reversible and irreversible platelet aggregation increased progressively from 1.2 to 2.8 and from 2.8 to 6 microM, respectively, during the prostacyclin infusions. Prostacyclin infusions had no effect on prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, or platelet count, but template bleeding time increased (not statistically significantly) from 5.8 to 12.3 min. In three of six patients, the 8 ng/kg/min infusion was terminated prematurely due to nausea, vomiting, and/or hypotension. We conclude that platelet aggregability can be inhibited in patients with chronic uremia by infusing 4 ng/kg/min prostacyclin without causing untoward side effects. When infused at hemodynamically tolerable doses, prostacyclin might serve as an in vivo inhibitor of platelet aggregation during hemodialysis or cardiopulmonary bypass.