Bradykinin acts on the dorsal root ganglion X neuroblastoma hybrid cell line F-11 to stimulate the rapid elevation of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and intracellular calcium. We now show an equally rapid release of arachidonyl labeled diacylglycerol (DAG), (243 +/- 32% of control). This first peak of diacylglycerol production was inhibitable by either pretreatment with 200 ng/ml of pertussis toxin overnight or by 10 nM tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA). In addition, a second, more sustained release occurred, plateauing at approximately five minutes (304 +/- 16%). The second peak of DAG was unaffected by these TPA or pertussis pre-incubations. Simultaneous analysis of inositol-labeled phospholipids showed that the initial IP3 and DAG peaks corresponded to initial decreases in phosphoinositides PIP2 and PIP whereas PI increased slightly over this same time period. In contrast, at 5-30 minutes, PIP2 and PIP returned to normal levels, but PI gradually decreased to 75% of control values. Likewise, TPA blocked this early PIP and PIP2 breakdown, but had no effect on the delayed breakdown of monophosphatidylinositol (PI). Bradykinin also induced an equally rapid increase in lysophosphatidyl inositol (lyso-PI) with a peak around 10-30 seconds, and a second more sustained peak after 10 minutes. This production of lyso-PI was not affected by prior treatment with TPA or pertussis toxin. The initial and the sustained phases of diacylglycerol production probably result from different biochemical mechanisms and/or substrates.