Proximal straight tubules were dissected and mounted in a chamber with their lumina occluded. The well-stirred bath could be 95% changed within 84 ms to set up osmotic gradients (delta Coi) across the peritubular cell aspect. Volume changes (less than or equal to 10 pl/mm) were estimated from continuous records of diameter changes (error less than 0.1 micrometers). delta Coi greater than or equal to 2-3 mosM could be discerned. delta Coi values from 10 to 44 mosM were used to evaluate Posc, the cell osmotic water permeability coefficient, and extrapolated to delta Coi = 0. Posc = 25.1 (+/- 2.3) X 10(-4) cm3.s-1.osM-1.cm2 tubular surface area-1. These values are lower than those reported for Pose, the transepithelial osmotic water permeability coefficient, and become lower if corrected for the real (infolded) peritubular cell surface area. Thus, for a given osmotic difference, transcellular water flow finds a higher resistance than paracellular water flow. Experiments were also performed with delta Coi greater than 100 mosM, but interpretation of these data is difficult because of the presence of volume regulatory phenomena and other undesirable effects.