To investigate whether dysfunction of the proximal tubule underlies maleic acid-(MA) induced type II ("proximal") renal tubular acidosis (RTA II), we intravenously administered either MA or acetazolamide to eight conscious trained dogs undergoing water diuresis and examined the relationship between fractional solute-free water clearance (Ch2o/GFR), a measure of NaCl reabsorption in the post-proximal nephron, and either fractional urine flow (V/GFR), a measure of total solute rejected by the proximal tubule, or the sum of fractional excretion of Cl- and Ch2o/GFR [(Ccl + Ch2o)/GFR], a measure of proximally rejected solute that is potentially reabsorbable by the thick ascending limb. When MA or acetazolamide induced brisk bicarbonaturia at normal plasma bicarbonate concentrations: 1) V/GFR, (Ccl + Ch20)GFR, and Ch2o/GFR increased strikingly; 2) at any increment of Ch2o/GFR ws not; 3) the increments of V/GFR correlated positively with those of fractional excretion of bicarbonate (P less than 0.001); 4) during hyperchloremic acidosis, MA-induced bicarbonaturia was greatly attenuated; the increment in V/GFR was halved and approximated that in Ch20/GFR, which was unchanged; 5) when plasma bicarbonate was abruptly increased, bicarbonaturia increased strikingly and V/GFR increased further but Ch20/GFR and aminoaciduria did not. We conclude that MA induces a reduction in the net rate at which the proximal tubule reabsorbs HCO-3, Na+, and Cl-. This dysfunction underlies RTA II and evokes greatly increased reabsorption of Cl- and Na+ in the post-proximal tubule.