The course of hepatic cirrhosis involves alterations to the sodium-water balance, the aetiopathogenetic causes of which are still not entirely known. At first major importance was assigned to the role of secondary hyperaldosteronism which develops during the ascitic phase. This was subsequently recognised to have only a permissive rather than determinant function. Changes in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system and variations in hydrosaline balance as the extracellular volume (ECV) expands during the reinfusion of concentrated ascitic fluid have been studied. The data reported show that ECV expansion causes increased diuresis, natriuresis and osmolar clearance. The RAA system is suppressed and at the same time kaliuresis increases. The latter factor points up the role played by increased solute flow to the distal tube in the diuretico-metabolic response, where aldosterone plays a purely permissive part.