Consistent with its anatomical association with the proximal tubule we have previously shown that superficial cortical efferent vessel blood contains an admixture of early and late proximal tubular reabsorbate. Since tubular secretion of p-aminohippurate (PAH) occurs predominantly in the late proximal tubule, extraction of this compound should occur preferentially from efferent vessel blood. As a result, the midportion of the proximal convoluted tubule supplied by the more downstream peritubular capillaries would receive blood containing a disproportionately reduced concentration of PAH. To study this, proximal and distal tubular fluid and efferent vessel blood samples were collected from rats. The data confirm that preferential secretion of PAH occurs in the pars recta and demonstrate that PAH is extracted from efferent vessel plasma by the pars recta. This in turn preferentially reduces PAH concentration in early postglomerular blood before it reaches the peritubular capillary network. We speculate that PAH and similar substances secreted by the pars recta are short-circuited by rapid extraction from early postglomerular blood, reducing their delivery to the mid-proximal convoluted tubule. Such circumstances must be considered in any analysis of organic compound secretion by the in vivo proximal tubule.