The present study was aimed at evaluating the role of D(1)- and D(2)-like receptors and investigating whether inhibition of Na(+) transepithelial flux by dopamine is primarily dependent on inhibition of the apical Na(+)/H(+) exchanger, inhibition of the basolateral Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, or both. The data presented here show that opossum kidney cells are endowed with D(1)- and D(2)-like receptors, the activation of the former, but not the latter, accompanied by stimulation of adenylyl cyclase (EC(50) = 220 +/- 2 nM), marked intracellular acidification (IC(50) = 58 +/- 2 nM), and attenuation of amphotericin B-induced decreases in short-circuit current (28.6 +/- 4.5% reduction) without affecting intracellular pH recovery after CO(2) removal. These results agree with the view that dopamine, through the activation of D(1)- but not D(2)-like receptors, inhibits both the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (0.001933 +/- 0.000121 vs. 0.000887 +/- 0.000073 pH unit/s) and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase without interfering with the Na(+)-independent HCO transporter. It is concluded that dopamine, through the action of D(1)-like receptors, inhibits both the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, but its marked acidifying effects result from inhibition of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger only, without interfering with the Na(+)-independent HCO transporter and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.