In neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells, bradykinin (BK) receptor stimulation leads to phosphoinositide hydrolysis, formation of inositol phosphates and mobilization of intracellular calcium. Treatment of the cells with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) suppressed the spike phase of increases in intracellular calcium concentration. In radioligand binding studies, TPA treatment did not interfere with [3H]BK specific binding to intact cells or to cell membranes. The ability of guanyl-5'-yl-imidodiphosphate to promote the conversion of the high affinity sites of the BK receptors into a low affinity sites was unaffected by TPA. TPA treatment showed the dose-dependent, noncompetitive inhibition of BK-stimulated formation of inositol trisphosphate. In the membrane preparations from TPA-treated cells, guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate-stimulated inositol trisphosphate formation was inhibited by 50%. These data indicate that TPA exerts its inhibitory action on BK responses at the sites of guanine nucleotide-binding protein or phospholipase C or both.