Cystic fibrosis (CF) mice created by targeted disruption of the murine cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene lack adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-mediated Cl- secretion and exhibit marked intestinal complications secondary to inadequate fluid secretion. The basal short-circuit current (Isc) in the normal murine jejuna [43.2 +/- 5.9 microA.cm-2, n = 10 (mean +/- SE)] exhibits marked spontaneous n = 10 (mean +/- SE)] exhibits marked spontaneous oscillations (amplitude = 47.9 microA.cm-2, n = 18), which were completely absent in the CF jejunum. Treatment of normal jejuna with the neuronal blocker tetrodotoxin completely eliminated the oscillations and decreased the Isc to levels not significantly different from the low basal Isc (5.4 +/- 2.8 microA.cm-2, n = 16) exhibited by CF tissue. Ion substitution studies revealed basal Isc in normal jejuna to be due primarily to Cl- secretion but these tissues appeared to be capable of HCO3- secretion as well. In contrast, CF jejuna spontaneously secreted neither Cl- nor HCO3-, which may indicate that CF jejuna have a defect in the ability to secrete both of these anions. Apical glucose elicited an electrogenic absorption of Na+ of identical magnitude in normal and CF jejuna. Without apical glucose, CF jejuna exhibited a very small Isc response to forskolin (delta 2.2 +/- 0.67 microA.cm-2, n = 10). However, in the presence of apical glucose, forskolin elicited an eightfold greater Isc response in the CF tissue (delta 17.2 +/- 4.8 microA.cm-2, n = 9).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)