Seventy female Sprague-Dawley rats were studied to determine the mechanism of tubular localization and the effects of commonly encountered changes in hydration and acid-base balance on renal uptake and urinary excretion of technetium-99m glucoheptonate ([99mTc]GHA). The in-vivo protein binding and protein-free plasma clearance of [99mTc]GHA also were quantitated. Twenty additional rats were studied to determine the effects of PAH competition and probenecid blockade on renal uptake of [99mTc]dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) in comparison with their effects on [99mTc]GHA localization. Kidney uptake of [99mTc]GHA averaged 11.17 +/- 0.49 (s.e.)% of the injected dose in control animals. This varied slightly among groups but was significantly reduced by probenecid blockade and para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) competition to 4.08 +/- 0.55 (p less than 0.005) and 2.39 +/- 0.14 (p less than 0.005), respectively. Technetium-99m DMSA was not affected in its renal accumulation by these maneuvers. The total plasma clearance of [99mTc]GHA was lower than iodine-125(125I)iothalamate but the clearance of the protein free supernate was higher, raising a possibility of some tubular secretion. Acidification of the urine which has been shown to reduce [99mTc]DMSA uptake appeared to have no effect on [99mTc]GHA. Hepatic uptake was minimal in all groups averaging less than 1% injected dose. These data demonstrate that renal accumulation of [99mTc]GHA is blocked by probenecid and PAH suggesting that it is actively concentrated in the proximal tubule by enzyme systems similar to those involved in PAH and hippuran transport. It appears that [99mTc]GHA uptake measures a different aspect of kidney function than [99mTc]DMSA.