Acetazolamide (ACTZ), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, causes a fall in renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration (GFR). It is generally believed that the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism is responsible. This study examined whether, in patients with diabetes mellitus, the renal hemodynamic response to ACTZ is intact and whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, which would be expected to block TGF, attenuates this response to ACTZ. Six men with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus lived in a clinical research center for 8 weeks and received enalapril 5-15 mg/day from the third through sixth week. At 2, 6 and 8 weeks p-aminohippurate (PAH) and inulin clearances were performed over eleven 30-min periods. ACTZ (150 mg) was given intravenously after 180 min. In both the pre- and postenalapril studies, PAH clearance fell after ACTZ administration (-60 +/- 15 and -66 +/- 20 ml/min/l1.73 m2, respectively, p < 0.05 for each study). In contrast, with enalapril treatment PAH clearance after ACTZ tended to rise (29 +/- 12 ml/ min/1.73 m2, p = 0.07). GFR after ACTZ fell during the pre- and postenalapril studies (-19 +/- 3 and -13 +/- 1 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively, p < 0.05 for each study) but not with enalapril treatment (-6 +/- 3 ml/min/1.73 m2). After ACTZ was administered, estimated renal vascular resistance rose during both the pre- and postenalapril studies (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) and fell with enalapril treatment (p < 0.05). These data indicate that enalapril alters the renal hemodynamic effects of ACTZ in patients with diabetes mellitus, possibly by inhibiting tubuloglomerular feedback.