In the endothelial cell line EAhy 926, 1-oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of the pp42 isoform of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Maximum phosphorylation was observed within 5 min of LPA addition, but the response was sustained for up to 120 min. Re-addition of LPA after 60 min stimulated a further sustained increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase. In cells pretreated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 24 h) or preincubated with the protein kinase C inhibitor Ro-318220, LPA-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of pp42 MAP kinase was substantially reduced at 2 min but potentiated at 60 min. Ro-318220 in combination with either PMA or pertussis toxin pretreatment abolished the LPA response at all time points, suggesting an involvement of protein kinase C in the pertussis toxin-sensitive part of the pathway. Agents which raised intracellular cyclic AMP levels did not affect the initial phase of LPA-stimulated MAP kinase activation, but abolished the late phase. However, this effect was prevented by Ro-318220, implicating a greater role for protein kinase C than protein kinase A in the regulation of sustained MAP kinase responses. LPA stimulated an increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase pp125 (pp125FAK) in EAhy 926 cells which was both protein kinase C- and pertussis toxin-independent. These results are discussed in terms of the pathways regulating both MAP kinase and pp125FAK in response to LPA in the EAhy 926 endothelial cells line.