This study was carried out to investigate whether the K-pNPPase activity in renal cortical slices can be used as an index for measuring the activity of Na+-K+ exchange pump. The K-pNPPase activity, Ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption add intracellular electrolytes content in slices, and Na-K-ATPase activity in microsome were measured and the effects of ouabain and vanadate on these were observed. The results are as follows : 1) p-NPPase activity in slices increased linearly with incubation time during 60 minutes, and K+-dependent, ouabain-sensitive fraction was about 55% of total p-NPPase activity. This value was almost the same through out the incubation time. 2) The concentrations of ouabain and vanadate for 50f inhibition of K-pNPPase activity were7.0 X 10-6M and 1.3 X 10-5M, respectively. 3) The ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption in slices was reduced to 50% of control value by 6.3 X 10-6M ouabain or 2.5 X 10-5M vanadate. These concentrations were similar to those for 50% inhibition of K-pNPPase activity. 4) The trends of intracellular electrolytes change by ouabain and vanadate were similar to those of the change in K-pNPPase activity. 5) The Na-K-ATPase activity in microsome prepared from renal cortex was completely inhibited by 10-3M ouabain or 10-3M vanadate and the concentration for 50% inhibition was 1.2 X 10-6M in ouabain and 1.6 X 10-6M in vanadate, which were much lower than those for K-pNPPase activity or ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption in slices. These results indicate that K-pNPPase activity measured in renal cortical slices is a better index for evaluating Na+-K+ exchange pump activity than Na-K-ATPase activity measured in microsome.