Induction of hyperinsulinemia in dogs results in enhanced reabsorption of Pi from glomerular filtrate in the renal proximal tubule. To determine whether this may be a direct action of insulin mediated by altered transport characteristics of the proximal tubular brush border membrane, we measured Na+-dependent 32Pi transport in brush border membrane vesicles prepared from isolated proximal tubular segments originating from dog kidney that had been incubated with or without insulin. Specific high affinity binding sites for insulin were detected in proximal tubular segments. Increased initial rates (15 s) of Na+-dependent 32Pi transport were measured in brush border vesicles prepared from segments that had been incubated with insulin. This effect of insulin was concentration dependent over the range of 10(-10) to 10(-6) M insulin. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of using brush border vesicles prepared from proximal tubular segments to study solute transport. Our findings suggest that insulin-induced increased Pi reabsorption in the proximal tubule is mediated by a direct action of insulin on the proximal tubular cell, which results in increased Na+-Pi cotransport across the brush border membrane.