The recent finding that inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis prevent the fall in urine concentration produced by papillary exposure challenges the hypothesis that contact between the pelvic urine and papilla is essential to the renal concentrating process. The present study examines the change in urine osmolality produced by exposure of the renal papilla in rats given meclofenamate. In control animals urine osmolality(Uosmol) decreased 57% after 2 h of exposure of the renal papilla. In rats given meclofenamate 4 mg/kg urine osmolality increased 16%, urine flow decreased 30%, and glomerular filtration rate was unchanged in the nonexposed kidney. Meclofenamate, however, did not alter the decrease in Uosmol seen in the kidney with the exposed papilla. Meclofenamate 10 mg/kg was also ineffective in preventing the fall in urine osmolality produced by papillary exposure, although this higher dose decreased glomerular filtration rate and arterial blood pressure. These results are consistent with the finding that pelvic urine urea is important to the urinary concentrating process and with the hypothesis that urine osmolality falls after papillary exposure because contact between pelvic urine and papilla is interrupted.