Thirty-nine clearance studies were performed in 17 healthy subjects under conditions of maximal hydration or hydropenia to compare the effects on renal solute and water handling of three sulfamoylbenzoic acid derivatives-piretanide, bumetanide, and furosemide-and the phenoxyacetic acid diuretic ethacrynic acid. Except for furosemide, which caused a 7% fall in effective renal plasma flow (ERPF), and ethacrynic acid, which reduced both the glomerular filtration rate (16%) and ERPF (23%) during maximal hydration, changes in hemodynamics were insignificant. At peak saluresis piretanide induced a mean reduction of -18.3% +/- 4.9% in fractional free-water clearance during hydration and -73.2% +/- 5.9% in fractional free-water reabsorption during hydropenia. The other sulfamoylbenzoates lowered fractional clearance and reabsorption of free water to similar extents, implying a major site of action within the medullary portion of the ascending limb. Ethacrynic acid reduced fractional free-water clearance to a greater degree than did the sulfamoylbenzoates. The mean reduction in fractional free-water reabsorption after ethacrynic acid (71.4% +/- 8.2%) was of the same order as that caused by the sulfamoylbenzoates. Similar excretory maxima for sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were achieved for all four diuretics. Except for piretanide under hydropenia, sulfamoylbenzoate action did not change urinary pH. Ethacrynic acid consistently lowered urinary pH. During hydration piretanide induced phosphaturia (35.3% +/- 8.8%) and uricosuria (40.9% +/- 9.1%). Both bumetanide and piretanide increased fractional urate clearance during hydropenia (16.7% +/- 5.6% and 34.2% +/- 10.5%). There were no changes in phosphate or urate excretion after ethacrynic acid. Our data support the view that sulfamoylbenzoate diuretics exert additional effects on proximal tubular segments that are not shared by ethacrynic acid. Renal responses to piretanide most closely resemble those to bumetanide.