This study was undertaken to determine if Juglandis semen aquacupuncture (JSA) exerts protective effect against alterations in membrane transport function in rabbits with mercury chloride (Hg)-induced acute renal failure. The administration of Hg at a subcutaneous single dose of 10 mg/kg caused a reduction in GFR to 12% of the basal value and an increase in fractional Na+excretion to 8.9-fold, indicating generation of acute renal failure. When JSA were given for 7 days prior to Hg administration, such changes were significantly attenuated. The fractional excretion of glucose and phosphate was increased to approximately 102- and 35-fold, respectively, in rabbits treated with Hg alone, The increase in rabbits treated with Hg following JSA are significantly lower than that in animals treated with Hg alone. Uptakes of glucose and phosphate in purified isolated brush-border membrane and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in microsomal fraction were inhibited in rabbits treated with Hg alone, suggesting that impairment in proximal reabsorption of glucose and phosphate is resulted from a direct damage of membrane transport carriers and disruption of the normal Na+ gradient. Such changes were prevented by JSA. These results indicate that the administration of Hg causes impairment in reabsorption of solutes in the proximal tubule via the generation of reactive oxygen species. JSA provides the protection against the Hg-induced impairment in proximal reabsorption, and its effect may be resulted from its antioxidant action.