The blockage of Na+ movements through the poorly selective cation channels in the apical membrane of frog skin (Rana temporaria) and toad urinary bladder (Bufo marinus) was investigated with noise, impedance analysis and microelectrode techniques. Na+ currents through this pathway were studied with NaCl Ringer solutions on both sides. After removal of Ca2+ and other divalent cations from the mucosal compartment, a considerable part of Isc became insensitive to amiloride. In frog skin, the inhibitory effect of amiloride in mucosal Ca(2+)-free solutions was highly variable. In some experiments a complete lack of inhibition was observed. Similarly, in the absence of amiloride, the inhibitory effect of mucosal Ca2+ varied strongly among frogs. In the absence of mucosal Ca2+, analysis of the fluctuation in Isc revealed a Lorentzian component in the power density spectrum. The corner frequency (fc) of this spontaneous Lorentzian was 12.3 Hz in frog skin and 347 Hz in the toad urinary bladder. In frog skin, nanomolar concentrations of mucosal Ca2+ induced an additional Lorentzian noise component. Its corner frequency shifted upwards with increasing mucosal Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]m). The relation between 2 pi fc and [Ca2+]m was linear at small [Ca2+]m whereas a parabolic increase of fc was observed at the highest [Ca2+]m. In the bladder, nanomolar concentrations of mucosal Ca2+ did not induce an additional noise component but modified the spontaneous Lorentzian noise by increasing fc proportionally with [Ca2+]m. Microelectrode recordings demonstrated that at least part of the Ca(2+)-blockable current passes through the granulosum cells and confirmed the apical localization of the poorly selective cation channel. The lack of the inhibitory effect of amiloride in Ca(2+)-free solutions seems to originate from the parallel arrangement of the amiloride- and Ca(2+)-blockable pathways and from influences of the blockage of apical channels on the basolateral membrane conductances. The latter cross-talk seems to find its origin in the voltage dependence of the basolateral membrane conductance [Garty H (1984) J Membr Biol 77:213-222; Nagel W (1985) Pflügers Arch 405 [Suppl 1]:S39-S43].