Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) stimulates adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) release synergistically in the presence of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). We examined the effect of a cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 1-isoamyl-3-isobutylxanthine (IIX), on arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced ACTH release and intracellular cAMP accumulation in normal rat anterior pituitary cells. IIX alone elevated intracellular cAMP accumulation. IIX potentiated AVP-induced ACTH release synergistically without further increase in cAMP accumulation, suggesting that synergistic ACTH release has an alternative mechanism other than the synergistic elevation of intracellular cAMP accumulation which has been reported. Phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) also induced synergistic ACTH release when incubated with IIX. IIX had no additional effect on ACTH response when incubated with maximal dose of CRF, forskolin or 8-bromoadenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP). Moreover, the combination of PMA and 8-Br-cAMP produced synergistic ACTH response. In conclusion, the synergistic ACTH release from rat pituitary corticotrophs occurs at least in the presence of directly activating events of PKC and PKA as well as PKC-induced inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity.