Three groups of weanling male rats were fed on a fat-free diet for 13 weeks. One group received only the fat-free diet (FF rats), the other 2 groups received the fat-free diet and a daily supplement of 2 energy% ethyl linoleate ([n-6] rats), or 2 energy% ethyl linolenate ([n-3] rats). Urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), immunoreactive arginine vasopressin (iAVP), and kallikrein were determined. PGE2 was quantitated with a radioimmunoassay having 4.9% cross-reactivity with prostaglandin E3 (PGE3). After 4 weeks on the diet, water consumption and urinary iAVP excretion increased significantly in the FF rats and the (n-3) rats compared with the (n-6) rats. Urinary PGE2 excretion was the same for all 3 groups during the first 10 weeks; thereafter it decreased in FF rats and (n-3) rats compared with the (n-6) rats. There was no difference in urinary PGE2 excretion between the FF rats and the (n-3) rats, even though large differences were found in the percentage of arachidonic acid (20:4[n-6]), icosapentaenoic acid (20:5[n-3]), and icosatrienoic acid (20:3[n-9]) of total kidney fatty acids as well as of kidney phosphatidylinositol fatty acids. Fractionation of urine extracts on high performance liquid chromatography with radioimmunoassay detection indicated that (n-3) rats excreted very little PGE3, if any. Urine output followed the same pattern, as did urinary PGE2 excretion. Urinary kallikrein was estimated at week 12 only. It was found to be significantly lower in FF rats and (n-3) rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)