Regulation of cholecystokinin (CCK) and the proto-oncogene c-fos mRNA expression was studied in the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-MC. Cells were treated either with the tumor promoting phorbol-ester phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutyl-methylxanthine (IBMX), which results in an elevated intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) level, or with a combination of PMA and IBMX. The level of CCK and c-fos mRNA was determined by Northern-blot analysis with CCK and c-fos specific antisense RNA probes after 4-24 h of drug treatment. Treatment with PMA and IBMX for 4-24 hours transiently raised the CCK mRNA level approximately 1.5-3.5 times compared to the controls, and the combination PMA and IBMX had an additive effect and elevated CCK mRNA abundance 1.5-6.5 times. Under the same experimental conditions, both PMA and IBMX elevated the c-fos mRNA level approximately 3-5.5 times. The drug combination showed a pronounced synergistic effect and raised the c-fos mRNA level approximately 3-20 times as compared to controls. Apparently, CCK and c-fos mRNA expression appears to be regulated by similar protein kinase C (PKC) and cAMP-dependent mechanisms in SK-N-MC cells.