ABSTRACf. Previous studies have implicated glucocorticoids as an important factor in the postnatal maturational increase in proximal tubule volume absorption, Na+[H+ antiporter, Na(HC0 3)3 symporter, and Na"-K+-ATPase activity. The present study examined whether glucocorticoids are also a potentially important factor in the maturational decrease in proximal tubule phosphate transport. Renal BBMs were prepared from neonatal rabbits who received dexamethasone (10 j.lgJI00 g body weight) or vehicle. Brush-border membrane vesicles from dexamethasone-treated neonates had a lower rate of Na-phosphate cotransport than controls (50.8 ± 3.6 versus 29.2 ± 2.6 pmol 32PJI0 s[mg protein, p < 0.001). This decrease was due to a decrease in the Vmax with no change in the affinity of the transporter for phosphate. The dexamethasoneinduced decrease in BBM Na-phosphate transport was not due to a reduction in transporters as assayed by phosphateprotectable Na-dependent equilibrium binding of phosphonoformic acid. Dexamethasone treatment caused an increase in the fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene and trimethylammonium-l,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (i.e. a decrease in membrane fluidity). Brush-border membranes from dexamethasone-treated neonates had a decrease in sphingomyelin and an increase in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol content but no change in cholesterol or total phospholipid content. These data are consistent with glucocorticoids playing a role in the postnatal maturational decrease in proximal tubule phosphate transport by altering membrane characteristics. (Pediatr RfS 35: 474-478,1994) Abbreviations BBM, brush-border membrane DPH, 1,6-diphenyl-l,3,5-hexatriene TMA, trimethylammonium PFA, phosphonoformic acid BLM, basolateral membrane PI, phosphate imal tubule is due, in part, to a lower rate of glucose transport (2-4) and bicarbonate transport (2,3) by the immature segment. The rate of apical sodium-glucose cotransport (4), Na"IH+ antiporter activity (5-7) and H+-ATPase activity (6), and basolateral Na+-K+-ATPase (I, 8-10) and Na(HC0 3 h symporter (5) activity are all significantly less than that in the mature proximal tubule.Substantial evidence exists that unlike the proximal tubule transport processes described above, renal phosphate transport is higher in neonates than adult animals. Fractional reabsorption of phosphate is higher in infants than in older children (II). Maximal tubular reabsorption of phosphate per volume glomerular filtration rate is higher in neonatal rats than in adult rats, a difference that persists after thyroparathyroidectomy (12-14). There is also direct evidence that the higher rate of phosphate reabsorption by the neonate is due in part to a higher intrinsic rate of phosphate reabsorption by the neonatal kidney (15, 16). Neonatal guinea pig kidneys perfused in vitro had a higher maximal tubular reabsorption of phosphate per glomerular filtration rate than adult kidneys (15). In addition, neonatal guinea pig BBM vesicles had a higher Vrna. for phosphate...