1. Prostate has kininogenase activity and expresses members of the tissue kallikrein gene family. The present study examined the effect of exogenous and endogenous kinins on growth of LNCaP prostate adenocarcinoma cells. 2. Rate of DNA synthesis was measured by incorporation over 4 h of [3H]-thymidine into a TCA insoluble fraction of LNCaP cells that had been cultured for 24 h. 3. Increased [3H]-thymidine incorporation was seen in response to 10 nmol/L testosterone (+103 +/- 5 s.e.%), dihydrotestosterone (+113 +/- 14%) and R1881 (+64 +/- 10%) (P < or = 0.001; n = 4). 4. In contrast 0.05, 5 and 1000 nmol/L lysyl-bradykinin had no effect (15 +/- 4, 10 +/- 9 and 5 +/- 3 s.e.%, respectively; n = 7). Des-Arg9[Leu8]-bradykinin (a B1 receptor antagonist) and/or D-Arg-[Hyp3,Thi5,8,D-Phe7]-bradykinin (a B2 receptor antagonist), 1 nmol/L, and indomethacin, 5 mumol/L, also had little or no effect. 5. In conclusion, kallidin and endogenous kinins and prostaglandins have little or no effect on DNA synthesis and therefore on the growth of LNCaP cells in comparison to the two-fold stimulation produced by androgens.