To examine the role of the choroid plexus in eliminating organic anions from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a kinetic study was performed both in in vivo and in vitro experiments using [3H]benzylpenicillin (PCG) as a model compound. In vivo, after intracerebroventricular administration, [3H]PCG was eliminated from the CSF much more rapidly than [14C]mannitol. Analysis of the elimination clearance from the CSF revealed that 12 and 24% of the disappearance of [3H]PCG can be accounted for by convective loss at a rate equivalent to CSF turnover, and by diffusional loss across the ependymal surface into the brain extracellular space, respectively. Approximately two-thirds of [3H]PCG elimination was due to a saturable process [Michaelis constant (Km) = 43.0 +/- 17.8 microM, maximum velocity (Vmax) = 619 +/- 286 pmol.min-1 x rat-1]. These kinetic parameters obtained in vivo were comparable to those determined previously in vitro, i.e., [3H]PCG was accumulated by the isolated rat choroid plexus via an active transport mechanism (Km = 58 microM, Vmax = 504 pmol.min-1 x rat-1; H. Suzuki, Y. Sawada, Y. Sugiyama, T. Iga, and H. Hanano, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 242: 660-665, 1987). Furthermore, other organic anions (probenecid, ampicillin, cefodizime, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone) reduced the transport of [3H]PCG in a dose-dependent manner both in vivo and in vitro. A good correlation was observed between the log inhibition constant (Ki) values obtained for these ligands in vivo and in vitro (r = 0.94, P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)