The effect of the Cl− channel blockers niflumic acid (NFA), 5‐nitro‐2‐(3‐phenylpropylamino)‐benzoic acid (NPPB), 4,4′‐diisothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid (DIDS), and anthracene‐9‐carboxylic acid (A‐9‐C), on Ca2+ signalling in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells was examined. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was monitored with either fura‐2 or fluo‐4, and caffeine was used to activate the ryanodine receptor, thereby releasing Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR).NFA and NPPB significantly increased basal [Ca2+]i and attenuated the caffeine‐induced increase in [Ca2+]i. These Cl− channel blockers also increased the half‐time (t1/2) to peak for the caffeine‐induced [Ca2+]i transient, and slowed the removal of Ca2+ from the cytosol following application of caffeine. Since DIDS and A‐9‐C were found to adversely affect fura‐2 fluorescence, fluo‐4 was used to monitor intracellular Ca2+ in studies involving these Cl− channel blockers. Both DIDS and A‐9‐C increased basal fluo‐4 fluorescence, indicating an increase in intracellular Ca2+, and while DIDS had no significant effect on the t1/2 to peak for the caffeine‐induced Ca2+ transient, it was significantly increased by A‐9‐C.In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, NFA significantly increased basal [Ca2+]i, suggesting that the release of Ca2+ from an intracellular store was responsible for the observed effect.Depleting the SR with the combination of caffeine and cyclopiazonic acid prevented the increase in basal [Ca2+]i induced by NFA. Additionally, incubating the cells with ryanodine also prevented the increase in basal [Ca2+]i induced by NFA.These data show that Cl− channel blockers have marked effects on Ca2+ signalling in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, examination of the NFA‐induced increase in [Ca2+]i indicates that it is likely due to Ca2+ release from an intracellular store, most probably the SR.British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 140, 1442–1450. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705571