The effect of acute changes in extracellular tonicity on cell electrolyte concentrations at the renal papillary tip and on organic osmolytes in different kidney zones was studied using electron microprobe analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography in four groups of rats: controls, 1- or 4-h water diuresis, and 4-h water diuresis followed by 30-min deamino-[Cys1,D-Arg8]vasopressin (ddAVP). The sum of the papillary interstitial concentrations of Na, K, and Cl was reduced from 981 mmol/kg wet wt in controls to 318 mmol/kg wet wt after 4-h diuresis and increased after ddAVP to 840 mmol/kg wet wt. In papillary collecting ducts intracellular electrolytes fell from 225 to 156 mmol/kg wet wt after 4-h diuresis and rose to 268 mmol/kg wet wt (significantly higher than control) after ddAVP. Organic osmolytes [sum of glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC), betaine, myo-inositol, and sorbitol] at the papillary tip decreased from 2,018 (control) to 1,037 mmol/kg protein after 4-h diuresis and did not increase after ddAVP. After ddAVP, cell P concentration, an index of cell GPC concentration, increased, indicating cell shrinkage. GPC concentration increased, indicating cell shrinkage. The results suggest that the concentrations of all osmoeffectors in papillary cells initially increase due to cell shrinkage in response to hypertonic stress. The higher intracellular ionic strength may be a signal for modulation of transport and metabolism of organic osmolytes.