Patch clamp technology was utilized to study the effects of apical phospholipase A2 (PLA2) metabolites on "maxi K" channels in the principal cell apical membrane of rabbit cortical collecting tubule (CCT) primary cultures (B. N. Ling, C. F. Hinton, and D. C. Eaton. Kidney Int. 40: 441-452, 1991). At resting membrane potential, this channel is quiescent in the cell-attached configuration. Apical application of the PLA2 agonist melittin (1 microgram/ml) for 10 min increased single-channel open probability (Po) from 0.0004 +/- 0.0010 to 0.11 +/- 0.05. Similarly, apical exposure to 50 microM arachidonic acid (AA) or 0.5 microM prostaglandin (PG) E2, but not 0.5 microM PGF2 alpha, also increased channel activity. Conversely, 10 microM of the PLA2 antagonist quinacrine applied apically decreased Po. Removal of apical bath Ca2+ did not prevent melittin-, AA-, or PGE2-induced channel activation. We then examined the role of maxi K channels and eicosanoids in principal cell volume regulation. Within seconds of reducing basolateral bath tonicity (285 to 214 mosmol/kgH2O), NPo (i.e., no. of channels x Po) initially increased approximately 200%, followed by a delayed but prolonged activation phase that was attenuated by removal of apical bath Ca2+. Pretreatment with 10 microM quinacrine, 100 microM indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor), or 0.25 microM thapsigargin (to deplete intracellular Ca2+ stores) abolished the initial phase of swelling-induced channel activation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)