We have previously shown that chronic administration of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor antagonist, ritanserin (10 mg/kg/day) or the monoamine oxidase type A inhibitor (MAOI), clorgyline (2 mg/kg/day), results in a reduction in 5-HT2 receptor number in rat cerebral cortex. This study investigates the effects of acute and chronic ritanserin administration, on 5-HT2 receptor linked inositol phospholipid hydrolysis in rat cortical slices and compares it with the effect of a chronic clorgyline regimen. [3H]Myo-inositol (50 microCi) was used to label inositol phospholipids. Their subsequent hydrolysis in the presence or absence of 5-HT was determined by the accumulation of [3H]myoinositol monophosphate ([3H]InsP). Addition of 5 nM ritanserin to slices had no effect on basal or 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation whereas 100 nM ritanserin blocked the stimulated response by 65%. Acutely, ritanserin (15 mg/kg i.p.) completely blocked 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation. Chronic ritanserin or clorgyline treatment had no effect on basal levels of [3H]InsP accumulation compared to controls (mean value 3125 +/- 298 dpm/mg protein). Ritanserin increased 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation at 1 microM, 100 microM and 1 mM 5-HT and this effect was significant at 100 microM 5-HT. Clorgyline had no significant or consistent effect on 5-HT stimulated [3H]InsP accumulation at 1 microM, 100 microM and 1 mM 5-HT. Thus the effects of both chronic clorgyline and ritanserin administration on 5-HT2 linked inositol phospholipid hydrolysis do not correlate with their effects on 5-HT2 receptor number (Bmax). The situation is further complicated since ritanserin significantly increases phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) labelling whereas clorgyline significantly increases PtdIns and PtdIns4P labelling. The implications of this are discussed.