Recently, we reported that intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) administered histamine evokes the secretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline from adrenal medulla by brain cyclooxygenase-1- and thromboxane A2-mediated mechanisms in rats. These results suggest the involvement of brain arachidonic acid cascade in the histamine-induced activation of the central adrenomedullary outflow. Arachidonic acid is released mainly by phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-dependent pathway or phospholipase C (PLC)/diacylglycerol lipase-dependent pathway. In the present study, histamine (27 nmol/animal, i.c.v.) -induced elevation of plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline was dose-dependently reduced by U-73122 (PLC inhibitor) (10 and 100 nmol/animal, i.c.v.), ET-18-OCH3 (phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC inhibitor) (10 and 30 nmol/animal, i.c.v.) and RHC-80267 (diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor) (1.3 and 2.6 micromol/animal, i.c.v.). However, mepacrine (PLA2 inhibitor) (1.1 and 2.2 micromol/animal, i.c.v.) and D609 (phosphatidylcholine-specific PLC inhibitor) (30, 100 and 300 nmol/animal, i.c.v.) had no effect. These results suggest the involvement of brain phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC and diacylglycerol lipase in the centrally administered histamine-induced activation of the adrenomedullary outflow in rats.