Activators of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibit sodium transport in proximal tubules (PT) (M. Baum and S. R. Hays. Am. J. Physiol. 254 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 23): F9-F14, 1988. In this study we have evaluated the effect of PKC activators on the enzyme responsible for active sodium transport, Na+-K+-ATPase. Both endogenous (diacylglycerol, DAG) and exogenous (phorbol esters, PE) activators were used. Enzyme activity was determined in permeabilized single PT segments. In vehicle-incubated PT, Na+-K+-ATPase activity (pmol Pi.mm tubule-1.-1 h) was 1,403 +/- 128. The synthetic DAG, L-alpha-l-oleoyl-2-acetoyl-sn-3-glycerol (10(-4) M) significantly inhibited Na+-K+-ATPase activity to 673 +/- 51, P less than 0.05. The PE-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), induced a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of Na+-K+-ATPase activity. Inhibition was significant at 15 and maximal at 20 min. Na+-K+-ATPase activity in PT incubated with PDBu was 796 +/- 171 (10(-8) M), 570 +/- 198 (10(-7) M), and 484 +/- 130 (10(-6) M). A PE that does not activate PKC, 4-alpha-phorbol didecanoate, did not inhibit Na+-K+-ATPase activity. PDBu 10(-7) M had no effect on purified Na+-K+-ATPase. Sphingosine (SP), a PKC inhibitor, abolished the inhibitory effect of PDBu (10(-7) M) on Na+-K+-ATPase activity. Dopamine (DA) is a physiological inhibitor of Na+-K+-ATPase activity in PT [A. Bertorello, T. Hökfelt, M. Goldstein, and A. Aperia Am. J. Physiol. 254(Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 23): F795-F801, 1988].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)