A heterologous gene expression system, Xenopus laevis oocytes, was used to prove the intestinal absorption of various beta-lactam antibiotics mediated by an H(+)-dipeptide cotransport system in rat, rabbit and human small intestines. The microinjection of mRNA (messenger RNA) from rat intestine into Xenopus laevis oocytes led to significantly higher uptakes of p.o. active cephalosporins including zwitter-ionic derivatives (cephalexin, cephradine and cefadroxil) and dianionic derivatives (cefixime and ceftibuten) in comparison with oocytes injected with water, whereas the uptake of cefazolin, a parenterally administered derivative, was negligible in both mRNA- and water-injected oocytes. The uptake of cefadroxil was reduced significantly in the presence of dipeptide and various beta-lactam antibiotics, but not in the presence of an amino acid. After sucrose density gradient centrifugation of mRNA, the highest expression of transport activities of both cefadroxil and ceftibuten was observed in the same mRNA fraction with a size of 2.20 to 3.75 kilobases. mRNA-injected oocytes showed a marked pH-dependency in the uptakes of cefadroxil and ceftibuten, whereas water-injected oocytes exhibited only modes uptakes. The most stimulated uptakes of cefadroxil and ceftibuten were observed at an external pH of 5.5 and 5.0, respectively. Furthermore, injection of mRNA isolated from either rat rabbit or human small intestine into oocytes produced significantly higher uptake of cefadroxil and ceftibuten compared with those by oocytes injected with water. Thus, intestinal absorption of p.o. active beta-lactam antibiotics was confirmed to be mediated by an H+ gradient-dependent transport system across the brush-border membrane of rats, rabbits and humans. The carrier-protein for this process is likely a dipeptide transport system.