The isolated perfused kidney of the guinea pig has been used to assess the mechanism that accounts for the maintenance of the positive phosphate (Pi) balance during development. The kidneys obtained from mature guinea pigs (n = 25) had a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 0.48 +/- 0.04 ml/min (mean +/- SE), whereas those of the newborn (n = 20) had a GFR of 0.15 +/- 0.02 ml/min. These values compare favorably with those observed in intact animals. The fractional excretion of Na+ (FENa) was 3.8 +/- 0.7% in the mature kidneys and 4.7 +/- 0.7% in the newborn kidneys. The maximal tubular reabsorption of Pi (TmPi) by the newborn kidney was 24.3 +/- 2.8 micrograms/min. The filtered load at which the TmPi of the newborn was reached exceeds by 2.5-fold the filtered load of Pi encountered under physiological conditions. In the adult the TmPi was 53.9 +/- 2.6 micrograms/min. The filtered load at which the TmPi of the adult was reached is only slightly higher than the average normal filtered load of Pi. The TmPi/GFR was significantly higher (P less than 0.02) in the newborn (117.4 +/- 10.8 micrograms X min-1 X ml-1 GFR) compared with the adult (82.6 +/- 3.6 micrograms X min-1 X ml-1 GFR). Moreover, at any filtered load of Pi below Tm the newborn animals reabsorbed twofold more Pi per gram kidney weight than the adult (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)