Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a highly toxic industrial solvent with pronounced effects on the liver and brain. CCl4 is enzymatically cleaved to produce free radicals which attack membrane components, including proteins. Earlier reports indicated that CCl4 affects Ca(2+)-regulated events in the brain. Hence, the present study was initiated to determine whether CCl4 affects inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor binding, free-Ca2+ movements across the microsomal membrane and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in rat brain, since IP3, Ca2+ and PKC are known to be involved in signal transduction. [3H]IP3 binding, free-Ca2+ movements and 45Ca2+ uptake were determined using rat brain microsomes and PKC activity was determined in the cytosolic fraction. CCl4 in vitro decreased [3H]IP3 binding to microsomes. IP3 mediated Ca2+ release from microsomes was inhibited and also the reuptake of IP3-released Ca2+ into microsomes was decreased in the presence of CCl4. CCl4 at concentrations < 2 microM independently released Ca2+ from microsomes. Uptake of total Ca2+ into microsomes was inhibited by CCl4 as observed with 45Ca(2+)-uptake studies. CCl4 at 1 microM inhibited PKC activity by 50%. Thus, perturbations in the binding of IP3 to its receptor sites, changes in the Ca2+ flux across the microsomal membrane and modulation of PKC activity by CCl4 in vitro suggested that CCl4 may exert neurotoxicity by altering signal transduction pathways.