Plasma vasopressin concentrations (pAVP) are elevated during dehydration due to alterations in extracellular fluid (ECF) volume and tonicity. The contributions of the reduction in volume and increase in plasma osmolality to the rise in pAVP were assessed in 6 dogs with bilateral carotid loops following 24 h of fluid, but not food, deprivation. Dehydration significantly (p less than 0.05) increased plasma osmolality from 297 +/- 1 to 315 +/- 2 mosm/kg), decreased body weight from 20.8 +/- 1.2 to 20.3 +/- 1.2 kg, and elevated pAVP from 1.4 +/- 0.2 to 5.3 +/- 0.6 pg/ml. The effect of extracellular fluid volume reduction was tested by reexpanding this compartment in dehydrated dogs with 0.15 M NaCl. Plasma vasopressin concentration was significantly reduced by 1.3 +/- 0.2 pg/ml (33 +/- 4%) and plasma osmolality unchanged following volume replacement. The contribution of the increase in plasma osmolality was assessed by bilateral intracarotid infusions of water at 0.6 ml/min/artery which lowered jugular venous plasma osmolality to euhydrated values (296 +/- 4 mosm/kg), but did not significantly reduce systemic plasma osmolality. Plasma vasopressin levels were significantly reduced 3.2 +/- 1.1 pg/ml (70 +/- 5%). Thus, following 24 h of fluid deprivation in dogs, the rise in pAVP is due to changes in both ECF volume and tonicity. The increase in tonicity plays a greater role in the elevation of pAVP, than the reduction in volume.