The mechanisms involved in the hepatocellular uptake of Krebs-cycle intermediates were investigated in isolated basolateral (sinusoidal and lateral) rat liver plasma membrane (blLPM) vesicles. An inwardly directed Na+ gradient markedly stimulated uptake of 2-oxoglutarate and succinate into voltage- and pH-clamped blLPM vesicles. This Na(+)-dependent portion of the dicarboxylate uptake was characterized by (a) saturability with increasing substrate concentrations (Km = 6.4-10 mM; Vmax approximately 0.2 nmol min-1 mg protein-1), (b) cis-inhibition by lithium (10 mM), other Krebs-cycle dicarboxylates (1 mM) and DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid; 1 mM) but not by sulphate, monocarboxylates, oxalate, acidic amino acids, bile salts and probenecid, (c) stimulation by an intravesicular negative K(+)-diffusion potential indicating electrogenic [(Na+)n greater than 2-succinate] cotransport, and (d) a pH optimum for transport between 7.0 and 7.5. In the absence of Na+, an inside alkaline pH gradient also markedly stimulated 2-oxoglutarate uptake. This pH-gradient-driven 2-oxoglutarate uptake was insensitive to lithium, but could also be inhibited by DIDS and succinate. Furthermore, saturation kinetics demonstrated Km (approximately 34 mM) and Vmax (approximately 0.8 nmol min-1 mg protein-1) values that were clearly different from those of the Na(+)-dependent uptake system. These results indicate the occurrence of two separate dicarboxylate transport systems along the sinusoidal border of hepatocytes, one being a Na(+)-dicarboxylate symporter and the other representing an anion-exchange system.