Factors that determine and cause an increased glomerular filtration rate in superficial nephrons (sngfr) in the mature, growing rat were examined in 39 Munich-Wistar rats, ranging from 93 to 335 g in body weight, from 40 to 140 days in age, and in sngfr, from 15 to 78 nl/min. Hydrostatic pressure gradient (delta P) from glomerular capillary (PG) to Bowman's space (Pt) was measured in surface glomeruli and pertinent oncotic pressures (pi) by microprotein methods. Isoncotic plasma expansion (PV) prevented filtration-pressure equilibrium (EFP) and permitted calculation of glomerular permeability coefficient (LpA) where sngfr = EFP-LpA, and EFP = delta P - pi. Increased sngfr correlated best with nephron plasma flow (rpf) (r = 0.81, P less than 0.001) and LpA (r = 0.71, P less than 0.001). The rpf increased because of parallel reductions in afferent and efferent resistances (slope = 0.89 +/- 0.09, r = 0.86, P less than 0.001), which also produced a constancy of PG and deltaP with growth. The ratio of rpf to LpA remained constant with growth permitting EFP to remain relatively unchanged (r = 0.14, P greater than 0.4). The increase in LpA should permit filtration-pressure equilibrium to persist in the hydropenic rat in spite of increases in rpf with growth. deltaP was constant with increasing age and therefore did not contribute to the increase in sngfr.