Chronic lithium treatment in rats has been reported to decrease protein kinase C alpha isozyme in hippocampal membranes. We gave phorbol ester, a protein kinase C activator, i.c.v. to rats treated with acute or chronic lithium. Low dose phorbol ester causes a marked hypoactivity and high dose phorbol ester causes a barrel rolling behavior, but no behavioral interactions with lithium treatment were observed.