To determine the predominant pathway for transepithelial osmotic water flow, the transepithelial osmotic water permeability [Pf(TE)] and the apparent dimensions of paracellular pores and slits were determined in rat proximal convoluted tubules microperfused in vivo. To measure Pf(TE), tubules were perfused with a hyposmotic, cyanide-containing solution. Pf(TE), calculated from the observed volume flux in response to the measured log mean osmotic gradient, was 0.12-0.15 cm/s, assuming sigmaNaCl equal to 1.0-0.7, respectively. The dimensions of the paracellular pathways were determined using measured sucrose and mannitol permeabilities (nonelectrolytes confined to the extracellular space). These were 0.43 and 0.87 X 10(-5) cm/s, respectively. By using the ratio of these permeabilities, their respective free solution diffusion coefficients and molecular radii, and the Renkin equation, the radius of the nonelectrolyte-permeable pores and the total pore area/cm2 surface area/channel length were calculated to be 1.4 nm and 3.56 cm-1, respectively. Similar calculations for slits yielded a slit half-width of 0.8 nm and a total slit area/cm2 surface area/channel length of 3.16 cm-1. The osmotic water permeability of these nonelectrolyte-permeable pathways was calculated by Poiseuille's law to be 0.0018 cm/s (pores) or 0.0014 cm/s (slits), at most 2% of Pf(TE). We conclude that the nonelectrolyte-permeable pathway in the tight junctions is not the major route of transepithelial osmotic water flow in the rat proximal tubule.