The effects of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on ion transport were examined in the isolated, short-circuited proximal colon epithelium of the pig. Addition of ANP to the serosal solution decreased the rate of neutral Na and Cl absorption and elicited electrogenic Cl secretion. Amiloride, at a concentration that inhibits Na-H exchange, produced an identical inhibition of Na transport and abolished the ANP-induced decrease in Na absorption. In contrast, serosal addition of bumetanide, an inhibitor of Na-K-2Cl cotransport, partially inhibited the short-circuit current (Isc) response to ANP. Whereas 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcGMP) produced qualitatively similar effects as ANP, relatively high concentrations of N6,2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) or prostaglandin E2 were required to alter NaCl transport. Furthermore, incubation of colonic mucosa with ANP induced a threefold increase in cGMP content, whereas cAMP was unaffected. The ANP-induced Cl secretion and Isc were diminished with tetrodotoxin and verapamil, whereas these agents were without effect on the ANP-induced inhibition of Na and Cl absorption. Results indicate that ANP inhibits net colonic absorption of ions by antiabsorptive and secretory mechanisms that are dependent on both cGMP and Ca.