We investigated how bradykinin mediates inflammatory reactions in rats, via measurements of bradykinin by enzyme immunoassay method in inflammatory tissue fluids. Vascular permeability was increased markedly during the first 10 min and then declined quickly after the infusion of a kaolin suspension (10 mg/ml) in 0.8% carboxymethl-cellulose solution into an air pouch formed on the back of rats. Bradykinin in the exudate reached a maximum 5 min after the challenge and then decreased quickly. Local treatment with DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoic acid, an inhibitor of kininase I, and captopril, an inhibitor of kininase II in the first 10-min period, each enhanced the vascular permeability increase accompanied by the elevation of the bradykinin level, whereas soybean trypsin inhibitor, a plasma kallikrein inhibitor, lowered both vascular permeability and bradykinin. When applied in the period of 3.5 to 4 hr after the challenge, only the kininase II inhibitor was effective in elevating both vascular permeability and the bradykinin level, whereas soybean trypsin inhibitor was ineffective on vascular permeability. A bradykinin-degrading activity appeared in the exudate as early as 10 min after the challenge. These results suggest that bradykinin plays an essential role for the sudden rise of the vascular permeability observed immediately after the infusion of kaolin suspension. In the later stage (3.5-4 hr), bradykinin level remained below the assay limit of 0.07 ng/ml in spite of its active generation, presumably because of its rapid degradation by the kininases, although it still played a definite role in the vascular permeability increase.