For the purpose of clarifying the mechanism of the airways smooth muscle relaxant action of xanthines, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) phosphodiesterase (PDE) from guinea-pig trachealis muscle was purified with diethylaminoethyl ether (DEAE) cellulose column chromatography. 2. Five 3-alkylxanthines (3-methylxanthine, 3-ethylxanthine, 3-n-propylxanthine (enprofylline), 3-n-butylxanthine, and 3-iso-butylxanthine), and five 1-methyl-3-alkylxanthines (1-methyl-3-methyl-xanthine (theophylline), 1-methyl-3-ethylxanthine, 1-methyl-3-n-propylxanthine, 1-methyl-3-n-butylxanthine, and 1-methyl-3-iso-butylxanthine (IBMX] were compared in terms of purified cyclic GMP PDE inhibition. The relationship between the structure and inhibition of cyclic GMP PDE was studied. 3. The -log EC50 values for relaxation of spontaneous tone of isolated guinea-pig trachealis preparations by the 3-alkylxanthines and 1-methyl-3-alkylxanthines were determined. 4. The five 1-methyl-3-alkylxanthines were each more potent in relaxing isolated trachealis smooth muscle than the corresponding 3-alkylxanthines. The 1-methyl-3-alkylxanthines were also more potent than the corresponding 3-alkylxanthines in their cyclic GMP PDE inhibitory effect. There was a strong positive correlation between the concentration of inhibitor which inhibited hydrolysis by 50% (IC50) values for cyclic GMP PDE inhibition by the xanthine derivatives and their EC50 values for trachealis muscle relaxation. 5. It is suggested that the mechanism by which xanthine derivatives relax trachealis smooth muscle involves inhibition of cyclic GMP PDE in addition to inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate PDE.
