The effect of antidiuretic hormone (arginine vasopressin, AVP) on transepithelial Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ net transports was investigated in medullary (mTAL) and cortical (cTAL) segments of the thick ascending limb (TAL) of mouse nephron, perfused in vitro. Transepithelial net fluxes (JNa+, JCl-, JK+, JCa2+, JMg2+) were determined by electron probe analysis of the collected tubular fluid. Transepithelial potential difference (PDte) and transepithelial resistance (Rte) were measured simultaneously. cTAL segments were bathed and perfused with isoosmolal, HCO3- containing Ringer solutions, mTAL segments were bathed and perfused with isoosmolal HCO3- free Ringer solutions. In cTAL segments, AVP (10(-10) mol.l-1) significantly increased JMg2+ and JCa2+ from 0.39 +/- 0.08 to 0.58 +/- 0.10 and from 0.86 +/- 0.13 to 1.19 +/- 0.15 pmol.min-1 mm-1 respectively. Neither JNa+ nor JCl-, (JNa+: 213 +/- 30 versus 221 +/- 28 pmol.min-1 mm-1, JCl-: 206 +/- 30 versus 220 +/- 23 pmol.min-1 mm-1) nor PDte (13.4 +/- 1.3 mV versus 14.1 +/- 1.9 mV) or Rte (24.6 +/- 6.5 omega cm2 versus 22.6 +/- 6.4 omega cm2) were significantly changed by AVP. No significant effect of AVP on net K+ transport was observed. In mTAL segments, Mg2+ and Ca2+ net transports were close to zero and AVP (10(-10) mol.l-1) elicited no effect. However NaCl net reabsorption was significantly stimulated by the hormone, JNa+ increased from 107 +/- 33 to 148 +/- 30 and JCl- from 121 +/- 33 to 165 +/- 32 pmol.min-1 mm-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)