Inhibition of cholera toxin-stimulated intestinal epithelial cell adenylate cyclase by adenosine analogs.

The ability of various adenosine analogs to inhibit cholera toxin activation of the intestinal epithelial cell adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP system was investigated. After incubation of cells with cholera toxin for 6 hr, large increases in cellular cyclic AMP content were observed. Addition of 2', 5'-dideoxyadenosine during the last 30 min of this 6-hr incubation resulted in 70% reduction in elevated cyclic AMP content. Other analogs were not effective inhibitors. 2', 5'-Dideoxyadenosine was also a potent inhibitor of cholera toxin-activated intestinal cell adenylate cyclase activity with half-maximal inhibition occuring at 16 muM. NaF-stimulated cyclase was less susceptible to inhibition. The data suggest that inhibition by 2', 5'-dideoxyadenosine is due at least in part to direct inhibition of the cholera toxin-activated intestinal adenylate cyclase activity.