Ion transport across premalignant large bowel mucosa in CF1 mice was evaluated by measuring sodium and chloride fluxes across voltage-clamped colonic segments obtained from control animals and animals treated for 4 wk with the procarcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, which induces tumor development principally in the distal colon. In control CF1 mouse colon, the net flux of sodium was 5.1 +/- 0.7 and 4.6 +/- 0.7 microEq.cm-2.h-1 and the net flux of chloride was 6.1 +/- 1.3 and 0.8 +/- 1.2 microEq.cm-2.h-1 in the distal and proximal colon, respectively. Removal of bicarbonate decreased the net flux of sodium 1.5 +/- 0.5 and 1.9 +/- 0.7 microEq.cm-2.h-1 in the distal and proximal colon, respectively, while the net flux of chloride was decreased to 1.7 +/- 1.8 microEq.cm-2.h-1 in the distal colon but was unaltered (0.8 +/- 0.1 microEq.cm-2.h-1) in the proximal colon. Addition of 25 mM bicarbonate stimulated the net flux of sodium and chloride absorption in the distal colon but increased net flux of sodium absorption alone in the proximal colon and stimulated net flux of chloride secretion. Removal of chloride decreased net flux of sodium to 3.4 +/- 1.4 and 1.8 +/- 0.8 microEq.cm-2.h-1 in the distal and proximal colon, respectively. Addition of 20 mM Cl stimulated net flux of sodium in the distal but not the proximal colon. These data suggest that sodium absorption is mediated by an electroneutral Cl-dependent, HCO3-dependent process (i.e., Na-H Cl-HCO3 dual exchange) in control distal colon and by an electroneutral HCO3-dependent process in control proximal colon. Following 1,2-dimethylhydrazine treatment, net flux of sodium in the distal colon was not stimulated by the addition of Cl or HCO3, and transport in the proximal colon was similar to that in control animals. However, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine treatment appears to uncouple Na-H Cl-HCO3 exchange in the distal colon early in the process of large bowel carcinogenesis.