The luminal membrane of collecting duct cells, specially the intercalated cells, is normally exposed to active kallikrein. This is due to the specific localization of renal kallikrein in the connecting tubule cells. We have previously reported inhibition of distal bicarbonate secretion by renal kallikrein. The present study was performed to evaluate the participation of basolateral Cl-/HCO3- exchanger and luminal H(+)-ATPase activity of cortical collecting duct segments (CCD) in the mechanism involved in the inhibition of bicarbonate secretion induced by the enzyme. The effect of orthograde injections of 1 microgram/ml (250 U/6.3 mg) pig pancreatic kallikrein, in the absence and presence of 1 mM DIDS (stilbene-disulfonic acid) in the renal tubule system, was evaluated. Urine fractions were collected after two-minutes stop-flow. Changes in the urine fraction (Fr) related to those in free-flow urine samples (Ff) were related to the respective polyfructosan (Inutest) ratio. Renal kallikrein activity (Fr:Ff kallikrein/Fr:Ff polyfructosan) increased significantly in the first 120 microliters urine fraction collected after glandular 1 microgram/ml kallikrein, P < 0.05, (first stop-flow) and after glandular 1 microgram/ml kallikrein plus 1 mM. DIDS P < 0.05 (second stop flow). Bicarbonate secretion rate (Fr:Ff HCO3-/Fr:Ff polyfructosan) of collecting ducts was significantly reduced in the first 120 microliters urine fraction collected, related to control, during the first and second stop-flow periods. No difference was shown in bicarbonate excretion between the first 120 microliters urine fractions collected after administration of glandular kallikrein and glandular kallikrein plus DIDS. To measure H(+)-ATPase activity, rat microdissected cortical collector tubules (CCD) were incubated in the presence of increasing glandular kallikrein doses (A: 93, B: 187 and C: 375 mU/200 microL) in the presence of ouabain (4 microM) and omeprazole (100 microM) to inhibit Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and H(+)-K(+)-ATPase, respectively. In CCD, bafilomycin-sensitive H(+)-ATPase activity (pmol/mm/min) after increasing kallikrein doses did not differ significantly from control. No difference related to control H(+)-ATPase activity was observed when microdissected CCD segments were incubated in the presence of an AT1 receptor antagonist (Losartan 10(-6) M) and glandular kallikrein (93 mU). On the contrary, angiotensin II (10(-8) M) significantly decreased H(+)-ATPase activity. The present study shows that neither basolateral Cl-/HCO3- exchanger nor H(+)-ATPase activity are involved in bicarbonate inhibition by glandular kallikrein at CCD. Involvement of luminal Cl-/HCO3- exchanger at beta intercalated cells in CCD may be suggested for the bicarbonate secretion inhibition induced by renal kallikrein.