We have recently shown that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) releases Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum of pancreatic acinar cells and suggested that IP3 may function as a second messenger of hormonal receptors to mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores (Streb et al, 1983, Streb et al, 1984). In rat kidney cortical tubules and microdissected mouse proximal tubules, an increased turnover of polyphosphoinositide metabolism following hormonal stimulation with angiotensin II-amide and phenylephrine has been reported (Wirthensohn et al, 1984; Wirthensohn et al, 1985). This suggests that IP3, one of their hydrolysis products, increases during hormonal stimulation. We therefore investigated the effect of angiotensin II-amide and IP3 on intracellular Ca2 stores in saponin-treated cells and homogenate from rat kidney cortex. Saponin-treated isolated cortical kidney cells or homogenate was incubated in a high K+ buffer in the presence of MgATP and respiratory substrates. Ca2+ uptake was determined by measuring the free Ca2+ concentration of the surrounding medium with a Ca2+ specific macroelectrode. Addition of cells or homogenate to the incubation medium resulted in a decrease of the medium free Ca2+ concentration until a steady-state concentration of 5.7 +/- 0.2 X 10(-7) mole/l was obtained. In the presence of mitochondrial inhibitors Ca2+ uptake rate was reduced, whereas the steady-state concentration was unchanged. In contrast, in the presence of the CA2+-ATPase inhibitor vanadate mitochondrial uptake proceeded at the same rate as the control, but the steady-state concentration was higher (6.9 +/- 0.2 X 10(-7) mole/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)