The inhibition by xanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitors of the induction of alkaline phosphatase activity in HeLa cells: relationship of enzyme activity to cyclic AMP concentrations.

The three xanthine derivatives, caffeine, theophylline and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX) produced dose-dependent increases in cyclic AMP concentrations in HeLa cells after long term treatment. Only IBMX produced increases over the first 60 minutes, with a peak of approximately 5-fold control values five to 10 minutes after the addition of the drug. About four hours after the addition of either 0.67 or 1.0 mM IBMX there was a second peak in the concentration of cyclic AMP which was at least as large and usually larger than the peak observed at five to ten minutes. Neither caffeine nor theophylline increased cyclic AMP concentrations above control values until one hour after addition of the compounds, and there was no indication of a peak in the concentration at four hours. Between 24 and 72 hours, all three compounds produced elevations in cyclic AMP levels that were steadily maintained. At any given concentration, the order of potency was IBMX greater than theophylline greater than caffeine. If the xanthine derivatives were removed from the medium after 24 hours of treatment, the cyclic AMP concentrations fell to control levels within one hour. Treatment with 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IdUrd) or hydrocortisone alone did not change the levels of cyclic AMP, nor did the presence of these inducers of alkaline phosphatase activity alter the effects of the xanthine derivations on cyclic AMP concentrations. The data showed a significant correlation between the magnitude of the increase in cycli AMP concentrations over the period from 24 to 72 hours and the degree of inhibition by the xanthine derivatives of the induction of alkaline phosphatase activity.