Manchester M13 9PT, UK 1. The transport of HC03-across the luminal membrane of pancreatic duct cells was studied by monitoring the luminal pH of isolated guinea-pig interlobular ducts after microinjection of an extracellular fluoroprobe, the dextran conjugate of 2'7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF-dextran). Luminal Cl-concentration was also measured by microfluorometry following microinjection of the dextran conjugates of 6-methoxy-N-(4-aminoalkyl)quinolinium bromide (ABQ-dextran) and Cl-NERF (Cl-NERF-dextran).2. When HC03-/C02 was admitted to the bath, a transient acidification of the duct lumen was observed, followed by a marked alkalinization. The latter was abolished when the luminal CF-concentration was reduced to 25-35 mm by replacement with glucuronate and may, therefore, be attributed to Cl--HC03-exchange at the luminal membrane.3. Secretin, forskolin and acetylcholine stimulated HC03-secretion into the lumen even when the luminal Cl-concentration was reduced to approximately 7 mm. Furthermore, agonistevoked HC03-secretion was not inhibited by luminal glibenclamide, dihydro-4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (H2DIDS) or 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoic acid (NPPB). These observations are not easily reconciled with HC03-transport across the luminal membrane being mediated by Cl--HC03-exchange in parallel with a Clconductance.4. Agonist-stimulated HC03-secretion was blocked by omitting Nae from the bath but not by addition of N-methyl-N-isobutylamiloride (MIA) or bafilomycin A1. This supports our previous conclusion that HC03-entry into duct cells from the extracellular fluid requires Nae but is not dependent on Na+-H+ exchange or vacuolar-type H+-ATPase activity. 5. The three actions of secretin on guinea-pig pancreatic duct cells described in this and the accompanying paper -stimulation of a relatively Cl--insensitive luminal HC03-efflux pathway, stimulation of basolateral Nae-HC03-cotransport, and lack of effect on intracellular pH -require the current model of pancreatic HC03-secretion to be modified.