During renal organic cation secretion by some species, intracellular concentrations greatly exceed the 10- to 15-fold ratio predicted by the potential-driven mechanism thought to mediate their basolateral uptake. Free cytoplasmic organic cation concentrations within the tubular cells might be decreased through sequestration within intracellular organelles. The data reported here show that endosomal vesicles isolated from rat renal cortex take up tetraethylammonium (TEA) by an ATP-dependent mechanism. Addition of 0.2-5 mM ATP to the medium stimulated uptake 5- to 10-fold at 5 min and 20-fold at 60 min. More than 80% of the ATP-dependent uptake was associated with an osmotically active space. The nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue, adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), did not stimulate TEA uptake. Mg2+ and Cl- were required for stimulation. Uptake was inhibited by several organic cations, including TEA itself. Uptake was also inhibited by inhibitors of intravesicular acidification, e.g., monensin and N-ethylmaleimide. Furthermore, the ATP requirement could be bypassed by establishing a pH gradient (inside acidic). These data show that endosomal TEA accumulation is mediated by proton/TEA exchange and is driven by the pH gradient maintained by H(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase. This potent sequestration mechanism may play an important role in organic cation secretion.