The anterior part of the lateral hypothalamus was stimulated by injection of carbachol through a stereotaxically implanted cannula in the rat. Re-collection micropuncture experiments showed that this procedure, which leads to diuresis and natriuresis with only transient changes in glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow, reduced the TF/P inulin ratio along proximal and distal tubules without significant alteration of single nephron glomerular filtration rate in most experimental groups. Fractional proximal sodium reabsorption was significantly reduced from 0.54 +/- 0.02 to 0.34 +/- 0.05. Treatment with DOCA, vasopressin, and oxytocin caused natriuresis, but additional hypothalamic stimulation (HS) led to further reduction in TF/P inulin ratio and proximal fractional sodium reabsorption from 0.42 +/- 0.03 to 0.33 +/- 0.03. Fluid transport across proximal and distal epithelium was also studied by the split-droplet method. It was markedly reduced in both segments after HS. During hormone treatment only distal segments showed reduction of fluid transport by HS. These experiments indicate that HS caused inhibition of fluid transport in the proximal and distal tubule. This effect was only partly due to the liberation of neurohypophysial hormones, since during their administration an additional effect of HS was still observed.