Exposure of synaptosomes to microwave radiation at a power density of 10 mW/sq cm or more produced stimulation of the 32Pi-incorporation into phosphoinositides. The extent of 32Pi incorporation was found to be much more pronounced in phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP), and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) as compared to phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidic acid (PA). Other lipids were also found to incorporate 32Pi but no significant changes in their labeling were seen after exposure to microwave radiation. Inclusion of 10 mM lithium in the medium reduced the basal labeling of PIP2, PIP and PI and increased PA labeling. Li+ also inhibited the microwave stimulated PIP2, PIP and PI labeling but had no effect on PA labeling. Calcium ionophore, A23187, inhibited the basal and microwave stimulated 32Pi labeling of PIP and PIP2, stimulated basal labeling of PA and PI and had no effect on microwave stimulated PA and PI labeling. Calcium chelator, EGTA, on the other hand, had no effect on basal labeling of PA and PI, stimulated basal PIP and PIP2 labeling but did not alter microwave stimulated labeling of these lipids. Exposure of synaptosomes to microwave radiation did not alter the chemical concentration of phosphoinositides indicating that the turnover of these lipids was altered. These results suggest that low frequency microwave radiation alter the metabolism of inositol phospholipids by enhancing their turnover and thus may affect the transmembrane signalling in the nerve endings.