We evaluated the effects of lisinopril (1 mg/kg per day) on hemodynamics, cardiac hypertrophy, and neurohumoral factors in Wistar rats with an abdominal aortocaval fistula. After 4 weeks of treatment, the results were compared with values obtained for untreated rats with a fistula and for sham-operated rats. Volume loading induced biventricular hypertrophy, hemodynamic signs of high-output heart failure (increased cardiac output, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and pulse pressure), and impaired renal function (decreased renal blood flow and kidney weight; increased blood urea nitrogen). Lisinopril did not affect these cardiorenal hemodynamics, but decreased left ventricular mass and mortality rate (both P < 0.05). Lisinopril attenuated the increase in plasma norepinephrine, and increased plasma renin activity (both P < 0.05). Thus, lisinopril reduced left ventricular mass and mortality in rats with high-output heart failure without changing the cardiorenal hemodynamics. Neurohumoral inhibition may play a role in the beneficial effects of lisinopril.