Kinins, members of a family of peptides released from kininogens by the action of kallikreins, exhibit a variety of biological activities including vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, contraction of smooth muscle cells, and activation of sensory neurons. However, investigation of the physiological actions of kinins has been greatly hampered because its effects are curtailed by rapid proteolysis in blood, lung, and liver. We describe the pharmacological characteristics of a novel nonpeptide bradykinin receptor agonist FR190997 (8-[2,6-dichloro-3-[N-[(E)-4-(N-methylcarbamoyl)cinnamidoacetyl ]-N-methylamino]benzyloxy]-2-methyl-4-(2-pyridylmethoxy)quinoli ne). FR190997 markedly stimulated phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis in Chinese hamster ovary cells permanently expressing the human bradykinin B2 receptor. The response of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis was antagonized by the B2 receptor selective antagonist Hoe 140 (D-Arg-[hydroxyproline3,beta-thienylalanine4,D-Tic7,++ +Oic8]bradykinin). In competitive experiments using membranes prepared from Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the human bradykinin receptor subtypes, FR190997 showed a high affinity binding to the B2 receptor with IC50 value of 5.3 nM and no binding affinity for the B1 receptor. In vivo, FR190997 mimics the biological action of bradykinin and induces hypotensive responses in rats with prolonged duration. Therefore, FR190997 is a highly potent and subtype-selective nonpeptide agonist which displays high intrinsic activity. This compound should represent a powerful tool for further investigation of the physiology and pathophysiology of bradykinin receptors.