Recent findings in both rat and crab indicate that renal accumulation of p-aminohippurate (PAH) across the basolateral membrane can be coupled indirectly to the Na gradient through PAH-glutarate exchange and Na/glutarate cotransport. However, the role of this mechanism in net transepithelial PAH secretion was not examined. Therefore, proximal tubules from Southern flounder kidney were used to assess both the presence of indirect coupling in the fish and its relationship to net secretion. [14C]glutarate uptake by proximal tubular masses was concentrative, Na dependent, and Li inhibitable. Glutarate efflux from preloaded masses was stimulated by addition of PAH to the medium. Thus flounder tubules exhibited both Na/glutarate uptake and glutarate-PAH exchange. Furthermore, steady-state [3H]PAH accumulation was increased 50% by 10-50 microM glutarate, and this increase was abolished by Li, indicating indirect coupling of PAH entry to Na. To determine whether indirect coupling affected net secretion as well as tissue accumulation, the steady-state accumulation of an anionic dye, fluorescein (FL), was measured in individual renal tubules by use of epifluorescence microscopy and video-image analysis. FL accumulated in tubules to levels that were 20-40 times higher than the medium. In most fish, luminal fluorescence was measurably higher than cellular, and uptake in both compartments was markedly reduced by PAH and Li. Moreover, FL accumulation in cells and lumina was increased by 70-100% when 50 microM glutarate was added to the bathing medium. Thus glutarate not only stimulated uphill FL entry into the cells, but also stimulated active secretion into the tubular lumen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)