To clarify the role of protein kinase C in the mechanical response, the effects of 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), an activator of protein kinase C, were investigated on intact and skinned smooth muscle preparations of the rabbit mesenteric artery. TPA (0.1 microM) showed dual actions (initial enhancement followed by inhibition during long exposure) on the K+-induced contraction. The enhancement was marked in the presence of 39 mM-K+ but inhibition was the predominant effect in the presence of 128 mM-K+. Addition of 2.6 mM-Ca2+ to a Ca2+-free solution containing 2 mM-EGTA following application of A23187 (1 microM), produced contraction. TPA showed the same dual actions on this Ca2+-induced contraction. In chemically skinned muscles, TPA increased the amplitude of Ca2+-induced contractions evoked by low concentrations of Ca2+ (0.1-0.3 microM), but reduced those evoked by high concentrations of Ca2+ (1-10 microM). Both actions of TPA were facilitated in the presence of phosphatidylserine (PS). TPA with PS had no effect on the Ca2+-independent contraction evoked in relaxing solution containing 10 mM-EGTA and 4 mM-Mg ATP following application of adenosine-5-o-3-thiotriphosphate (ATP gamma S) and 0.3 microM-Ca2+. The amount of Ca2+ stored in cells estimated from the amplitude of the caffeine-induced contraction was not modified by application of TPA with PS in skinned or intact muscle tissues. The effects of TPA were investigated on the Ca2+ transient measured from the intensity of fluorescence of quin-2 in dispersed cell suspensions prepared from the porcine coronary artery. TPA had no effect on the Ca2+ transient in high K+ but enhanced the amplitude of the contraction. Amplitudes of the tonic response evoked by 39 mM-K+ in intact muscle tissues and the contraction induced by 0.3 microM-Ca2+ in skinned muscle were much the same. TPA with PS enhanced the amplitudes of both contractions to the same extent. From the above results, we concluded that TPA shows dual actions on the contractile machinery and may act on the regulatory systems of contractile proteins. Both excitatory and inhibitory actions of TPA depended on the concentration of Ca2+. However, the physiological action of protein kinase C as estimated from the action of TPA seems to be related to an excitatory action on the contractile machinery.