Both arginine vasopressin (AVP) and forskolin regulate vectorial Na+ transport across high-resistance epithelia by increasing the Na+ conductance of the apical membrane mediated by amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels. Pretreatment of A6 cells with brefeldin A partially inhibited the increase in Na+ transport in response to forskolin, suggesting recruitment of Na+ channels from an intracellular pool. The activation of Cl- secretion was not affected. Apical cell surface expression of Na+ channels was examined following activation of transepithelial Na+ transport across the epithelial cell line A6 by AVP or forskolin. Apical cell surface radioiodinated Na+ channels were immunoprecipitated to quantify the biochemical pool of Na+ channels at the apical plasma membrane and to determine whether an increment in the biochemical pool of Na+ channels expressed at the apical cell surface is a potential mechanism by which AVP and forskolin increase apical membrane Na+ conductance. The activation of Na+ transport across A6 cells by AVP was accompanied by a significant increase in the biochemical pool of Na+ channels at the apical plasma membrane within 5 min after addition of hormone, which was sustained for at least 30 min. The increase in apical cell surface expression of Na+ channels was also observed 30 min after application of forskolin. No changes in the oligomeric subunit composition of the channel were noted. Brefeldin A inhibited the forskolin-stimulated increase in apical cell surface expression of Na+ channels. These results suggest that AVP and forskolin regulate Na+ transport, in part, via rapid recruitment of Na+ channels to the cell surface, perhaps from a pool of channels in the subapical cytoplasm.