L-Dopa induced a 56% increase in frontal cortical blood flow (fcCBF) one hour after intraperitoneal administration in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. The treatment with carbidopa did not alter the magnitude of the response but shortened the response time to half an hour. In stroke-resistant rats and in Wistar Kyoto rats, L-dopa decreased fcCBF. This response was reversed to different degree by carbidopa pretreatment. 2. Serotonin decreased fcCBF in all groups. L-Dopa administered one hour after serotonin resulted in a recovery to the control level in SHR-SR, an increase in fcCBF in WK but the decreased flow in SHR-SP was maintained till the end of the observation time. 3. The data suggest that the stroke-prone rats have an unusual response to L-dopa and that L-dopa and this combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor may have a beneficial effect on the improvement of cerebral blood flow especially when the pre-existing level of cerebral blood flow is reduced in severe hypertension.