Histamine (0.5 mM) stimulated the cyclic AMP content of cell suspensions containing greater than 80% parietal cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) inhibited this stimulatory effect of histamine, but had no effect on basal cyclic AMP content. The half-maximally effective concentration of EGF for inhibition of histamine-stimulated cyclic AMP was 3.9 nM. The equivalent measurement for the inhibition of histamine-stimulated aminopyrine accumulation was 3.0 nM. Aminopyrine accumulation was measured because it provides an index of the secretory activity of the cell. The cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) prevented the inhibitory effect of EGF on cyclic AMP content. This effect of IBMX was not caused by its ability to raise cellular cyclic AMP content in the presence of histamine. Prevention by IBMX of the inhibitory action of EGF on histamine-stimulated aminopyrine accumulation had been shown previously [Shaw, Hatt, Anderson & Hanson (1987) Biochem. J. 244, 699-704]. EGF stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in the cell fraction containing greater than 80% parietal cells, with the half-maximally effective concentration being 7.5 nM. EGF was ineffective in stimulating PGE2 production if the cell fraction was depleted of parietal cells (12%), or if 0.5 mM-histamine was added to the enriched parietal-cell fraction. In conclusion, EGF may inhibit histamine-stimulated acid secretion by decreasing the cyclic AMP content of parietal cells. This effect could be mediated by an increase in cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity, but it is unlikely to involve an effect of EGF on parietal-cell prostaglandin production.