Receptor-mediated endocytosis and recycling have been described for extrarenal angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors. In proximal tubule (PT) epithelia expressing polarized ANG II receptors, these processes have not been examined as thoroughly. We utilized a PT cell model, LLC-PKCl4 cells stably transfected with rabbit type 1 ANG II receptor (AT1R) cDNA, to investigate these properties. LLC-PK-AT1R cells expressed the rabbit AT1R transcript and displayed losartan-inhibitable specific 125I-labeled ANG II binding at apical (AP) and basolateral (BL) membranes when grown on permeable supports. AP AT1R internalized 125I-ANG II more rapidly than BL AT1R, and phenylarsine oxide treatment inhibited AP AT1R internalization without significantly affecting BL AT1R endocytosis. Pertussis toxin had no effect on AP or BL AT1R endocytosis. In addition, AP AT1R recovered specific 125I-ANG II binding after ANG II treatment (a measure of recycling). BL AT1R displayed minimal recovery of 125I-ANG II binding after ANG II pretreatment. These data suggested that AP AT1R enter endocytic/endosomal pathways. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity has been linked to endosomal fusion in other systems, and PT brush-border membrane AT1R also have been associated with PLA2 activity. LLC-PK-AT1R cells were therefore treated with quinacrine, a nonspecific PLA2 inhibitor, or Compound I (CI), a selective Ca(2+)-independent PLA2 inhibitor, to determine if PLA2 activity was linked to AT1R recycling. Both quinacrine and CI decreased AP AT1R recycling without affecting BL AT1R recycling. Polarized AT1R in LLC-PKCl4 cells thus display differential rates of endocytosis and recycling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)