1. Membrane currents were recorded by a patch-clamp pipette technique in cultured cells from rat portal vein using the whole-cell mode. 2. Noradrenaline (NA, 10(-5) M) and phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu, 10(-7) M) produced an increase in voltage-dependent inward current carried by barium (5 mM), but their effects were not additive. Calcium-activated chloride current was evoked by NA but not by PDBu. 3. The NA-induced increase in peak voltage-dependent inward current was inhibited by intracellular application of GDP-beta-S (10(-3) M) while the effect of PDBu was unchanged. GDP-beta-S blocked the NA-induced chloride current but had no effect on the caffeine-induced chloride current. 4. Inclusion of GTP-gamma-S (10(-5)-10(-4) M) in the pipette solution increased the voltage-dependent inward current and inhibited the NA- or PDBu-induced increase in peak current. GTP-gamma-S potentiated the effect of NA on calcium-activated chloride current. At higher concentrations (10(-3) M), GTP-gamma-S activated the chloride current and prevented the effects of NA or caffeine on this current. 5. The combination of 10(-5) M-aluminium chloride and 10(-2) M-sodium fluoride had an effect similar to that of high concentrations of GTP-gamma-S on both inward current and calcium-activated chloride current. In contrast, arachidonic acid (10(-3) M) had no effect on calcium and chloride conductances activated by NA. 6. Cells responded normally to NA after pre-treatment for 4-30 h with 10 micrograms ml-1 pertussis toxin (PTx). 7. It is concluded that the stimulation of calcium and chloride conductances by NA is mediated through activation of a PTx-insensitive GTP-binding protein. This effect may involve activation of phospholipase C enzyme and production of both D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate which depletes calcium stores and diacylglycerol which activates protein kinase C.