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Sodium crosses the apical membrane of tight epithelia through a sodium channel, which is inhibited by the diuretic amiloride and by analogs such as phenamil. Target size analysis indicated that the functional size of the [3H]phenamil binding sites associated with the epithelial Na+ channel from pig kidney is 92 +/- 10 kDa. The [3H]phenamil receptor was solubilized by using 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate. The solubilized material displayed the same properties of interaction with amiloride and its derivatives as the membrane-bound receptor. A two-step purification of the epithelial Na+ channel was achieved by using QAE Sephadex chromatography and affinity chromatography on a Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin column. It results in an 1100-fold purification of the Na+ channel as compared to pig kidney microsomes with a yield of 15% +/- 5%. The maximal specific activity was 3.7 nmol/mg of protein. NaDodSO4/poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified Na+ channel under nonreducing conditions showed the presence of a single major polypeptide chain of apparent molecular mass 185 kDa. Under disulfide-reducing conditions, the purified epithelial Na+ channel migrated as a single band of apparent molecular mass 105 kDa. It is suggested that the epithelial Na+ channel from pig kidney has a total molecular mass of 185 kDa and consists of two nearly identical 90- to 105-kDa polypeptide chains crosslinked by disulfide bridges.