L-Glutamine (Gln) is a major respiratory fuel and substrate for nucleic acid synthesis in mammalian intestinal cells. The structurally related amino acid, L-asparagine (Asn), stimulates the proliferative enzyme ornithine decarboxylase in colonocytes, an effect that is blocked by the Na+-H+ exchange inhibitor amiloride. In an epithelial cell line derived from newborn piglet jejunum (IPEC-J2 cells), we determined intracellular pH (pHi) by computer-assisted microfluorimetry in single cells loaded with pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)5-(6)- carboxyfluorescein. Resting pHi in N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2- ethanesulfonic acid-buffered NaCl Ringer was 7.06 +/- 0.02. Removal of external Na+ caused reversible acidification; recovery of pHi from NH+4-induced acid load was Na+ dependent, amiloride inhibitable, and Cl-independent. Asn and Gln had no measurable effect on resting pHi, but pretreatment with Asn or Gln induced a consistent twofold increase in pHi recovery from an acid challenge that was not seen with L-proline, D-glutamine, or L-phenylalanine. Inhibition of Gln metabolism by aminooxyacetate abolished the stimulatory effect of Gln on the exchanger. The tumor promotor phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated recovery rate from acid load and also increased resting pHi. The effects of PMA and Gln on Na+-H+ exchange from acid load were additive. Stimulation of Na+-H+ exchange by PMA, but not by Gln, was inhibited by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpeperazine. We conclude that Gln metabolism stimulates Na+-H+ exchange of acid-loaded porcine enterocytes by a mechanism not requiring activation of PKC.