Polyethylene glycol protects against O2 deprivation after clamping of the renal artery or norepinephrine infusion and in hypoxic primary cell culture. Isolated perfused kidneys under hypoxic conditions develop morphological alterations in all segments of the proximal tubule and medullary thick ascending limb. In an attempt to ameliorate the effect of hypoxia, rat kidneys were perfused for 90 min with regularly oxygenated (95% O2 + 5% CO2) or hypoxic perfusate (95% N2 + CO2) supplemented with 8-12% polyethylene glycol (MW approximately 8000). In oxygenated and hypoxic kidneys, polyethylene glycol produced similar changes in S1-S2 segments consisting of reduction of cell thickness and organelle compaction with internalization of brush border into the tubulo-vesicular system. In the S3 segment, the cellular volume loss was more limited; the brush border was transformed to membranous whorls and the cytoplasm contained large, irregular, clear zones. Mitochondrial swelling was pronounced in the hypoxic proximal tubules. Polyethylene glycol quantitatively increased and emphasized the damage in the medullary thick ascending limb. Inclusion of 10(-2) M ouabain preserved the medullary thick ascending limb from hypoxic injury and polyethylene glycol had no effect on this undamaged epithelium. Thus, polyethylene glycol affects renal tubules on the basis of their known water permeability and does not protect against but rather worsens hypoxic injury in the medullary thick ascending limb.