Age-related changes in the function of individual nephrons were investigated by micropuncture experiments measuring single-nephron filtration rates (SNGFR) and proximal reabsorptions in 10-, 20-, and 30-mo-old rats. The animals were female WAG/Rij rats with low incidence of chronic progressive nephropathy, no loss of nephrons, and renal hypertrophy of both kidneys in the oldest animals. Mean SNGFR values per gram kidney weight were 41.4 +/- 1.1, 37.1 +/- 1.5, and 32.2 +/- 1.1 nl.min-1.g kidney wt-1 (n = 41) in the 10-, 20-, and 30-mo-old animals, respectively. This age-related decrease in filtration was no longer apparent when SNGFR values were expressed per nephron (means 24.3 +/- 0.7, 23.7 +/- 0.9, and 24.4 +/- 0.9 nl/min. Individual filtered loads of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium and their absolute reabsorption by the proximal tubule were not different in the three age groups; however, absolute and fractional reabsorptions of phosphate decreased significantly in the 30-mo-old rats. These results indicate that, with the exception of phosphate, individual filtrations and proximal reabsorptions are well maintained in aging rats free of disease. This may be related to the observed renal hypertrophy.