1 The aim of this study was to analyse the pharmacological characteristics, and second-messenger coupling-mechanisms, of bradykinin B1 receptors in an intact tissue, the rabbit urinary bladder; and to investigate the influence of inhibition of endogenous peptidases on kinin activities. 2 In preparations of rabbit mucosa-free urinary bladder, at 90 min after mounting of the preparations, bradykinin (1 nM-10 fM) evoked contractile responses. In contrast, the B1 receptor-selective agonist [des-Argl-BK (10 nM-10-JM) was only weakly active at this time. Contractile responses to [des-Argl-BK increased with time of tissue incubation in the organ bath, reaching a maximum after 3 h, when the pD2 estimates were 6.4 ± 0.3 for bradykinin, and 6.9 + 0.2 for [des-Arg9]-BK. [Leu8,des-Argj-BK inhibited responses to bradykinin under these conditions (n = 4). and B2 receptors, but does not require conversion by peptidases in order to activate B1 receptors. We demonstrate, for the first time, B. receptor-coupling to phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis in an intact tissue preparation.