The agricultural fungicide N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) induces nephrotoxicity in vivo that is characterized as acute polyuric renal failure and proximal tubular necrosis. However, earlier in vitro studies have failed to reproduce the in vivo nephrotoxicity seen with NDPS or its nephrotoxic metabolites N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide (NDHS) and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinamic acid (2-NDHSA). The purpose of this study was to examine the nephrotoxic potential of NDPS, its known non-conjugated metabolites, the O-sulfate conjugate of NDHS (NSC), and the putative metabolite N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)maleimide (NDPM) and its hydrolysis product N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)maleamic acid (NDPMA) using freshly isolated renal cortical cells (IRCC). IRCC were obtained from untreated male or female Fischer 344 rats following collagenase perfusion of the kidneys. Cells (approximately 4 million per ml) (N=4) were incubated with up to 1.0 mM NDPS or an NDPS metabolite or vehicle for up to 120 min. Cytotoxicity was determined by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into the medium. Only NSC (>0.5 mM) and NDPM (> or =0.5 mM) exposure increased LDH release from IRCC. NSC 1.0 mM or NDPM 0.5 mM increased LDH release from IRCC within 15--30 min of exposure. NDPS or the remaining NDPS metabolites did not increase LDH release at bath concentrations of 1.0 mM for exposures of 120 min. IRCC from male and female rats responded similarly to the toxic effects of NDPS and its metabolites. These results demonstrate that sulfate conjugates of NDPS metabolites can be fast acting nephrotoxicants and could contribute to NDPS nephrotoxicity in vivo. These results also suggest that the kidney probably accumulates toxic sulfate conjugates of NDPS metabolites rather than forming the conjugates. In addition, mechanisms responsible for gender differences in nephrotoxicity seen with NDPS and NDPS metabolites in vivo either occur prior to renal accumulation of sulfate conjugates and/or represent biochemical/physiological differences between the genders.