The nephrotoxin S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC) is cleaved in the renal tubules to produce a reactive electrophilic intermediate. If this intermediate is responsible for the toxicity, addition of the nucleophilic scavenger glutathione (GSH) should decrease toxicity, and depletion of tubular GSH should enhance toxicity. GSH was added to isolated rabbit renal tubules simultaneously with, 15 min before, and 15 min after the addition of DCVC. The active accumulation of the organic anion para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and organic cation tetraethylammonium bromide (TEA) was used as an index of renal toxicity. Incubation of renal tubules with 0.01-1 mM DCVC for 15 min decreased active transport, with complete inhibition at 1 mM. This was accompanied by a 50% decrease in non-protein sulfhydryl concentration. The addition of GSH (6 mM) simultaneously with DCVC completely prevented any decrease in active transport. The addition of GSH (6 mM) to tubules in which active transport was inhibited by DCVC reversed the inhibition to 80% of control. Similar enhancement of active transport occurred when tubules isolated 1 h after in vivo exposure to DCVC at 20-100 mg kg-1 were incubated with GSH (6 mM). Preincubation of renal tubules with GSH (5-15 mM) made them more refractory to the DCVC-induced decreased PAH and TEA transport. The inhibition of active transport by DCVC is enhanced if the tubular non-protein sulfhydryl is first lowered by diethyl maleate or glycidol. Thus, the tubular GSH concentration appears to be an integral component in regulating the alterations in active transport caused by DCVC.