Effect of agents for the chemical prevention of radiation sickness on the cyclic nucleotide content in the bone marrow of mice

The effect of different chemical compounds on the cAMP/cGMP ratio in the bone marrow of mice and radioresistance of animals has been studied. It has been shown that all compounds possessing radioprotective properties give rise to the cAMP/cGMP ratio in the bone marrow of mice. No changes in cAMP and cGMP level were noted after the administration of nonradioprotective substances. The maximal radioprotective effect coincide in time with the largest increase of the cAMP/cGMP ratio. The injection of radioprotectors at different doses demonstrate clearly that only at radioprotective doses the increase in the cAMP/cGMP ratio takes place. The administration of some substances 2, 15 and 60 min after the irradiation of mice shows that the radioprotective effect, though modest, was evident only in one case of elevated cAMP/cGMP ratio (the injection of 2-Mercaptoethylamine 2 min after the irradiation). Evident radioprotective effect occurs at the cAMP/cGMP ratio of about 170-200%; the ratio of about 130-140% corresponds to small radioprotection.     

Properties of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from plasma membranes of rat synaptosomes at early stages of acute radiation injury

Phosphodiesterase of cyclic nucleotides from membranes of rat brain synaptosomes hydrolyzes cAMP and cGMP; the maximal rate of cAMP hydrolysis is 2.5 times higher than the values of the analogous index for GMP. The enzyme is found to be activated by calmodulin. A different direction of changes in the rate of cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis is observed 1 h after total X-ray irradiation. The process of cAMP hydrolysis by phosphodiesterase is characterized by positive cooperativity which is also shown after irradiation and for the process of cGMP hydrolysis. It is established that enzyme inhibition by the reaction product takes place both in control and after irradiation.     

Probing the interactions between cAMP and cGMP in cyclic nucleotide-gated channels using covalently tethered ligands

Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels contain four ligand-binding subunits, and they are directly activated by the binding of cGMP or cAMP. Channels with different combinations of subunits are known to have different sensitivities to the two nucleotides. However, the consequences of mixed occupancy by cGMP and cAMP are not well understood, and may have important implications for understanding the functions of these channels in different cell types. We studied the activation of homomeric and heteromeric retinal rod cyclic nucleotide-gated channels with the four ligand-binding sites occupied by different combinations of cGMP (a strong agonist) and cAMP (a weak agonist). Control of occupancy was obtained by covalently tethering different numbers of cGMP moieties using the photoaffinity analogue 8-p-azidophenacylthio-cGMP; the remaining sites were then saturated with cAMP, or cGMP, for comparison. The fractional current activated by cAMP increased dramatically as the number of tethered cGMP moieties increased. In homomeric channels comprised of the alpha subunit, cAMP became an effective agonist only after three of the four sites were occupied by tethered cGMP moieties. In contrast, in heteromeric channels comprised of two alpha and two beta subunits, cAMP caused significant activation after two sites were occupied by tethered cGMP moieties. In agreement with earlier work, a single residue on the beta subunit, N1201, accounted for much of the increased efficacy of cAMP on heteromeric channels. The results are consistent with significant interactions between subunits, including the two types of subunits in heteromeric channels.     

Elevated cyclic GMP concentrations in rat adrenal cortex after dexamethasone administration.

The levels of cGMP and cAMP were measured in the fasciculata-reticularis zona of the adrenal cortex in both intact and hypophysectomized young adult male rats. After administration of a single dose of dexamethasone to intact rats, cGMP levels were elevated 2–4 fold after 4hr and returned to control level after 8hr. At the same time, cAMP concentrations were moderately lowered. In hypophysectomized rats dexamethasone administration was followed by a similar increase in the cGMP level, the basal cAMP concentrations were not altered by dexamethasone. Our data suggest that dexamethasone might have a direct effect on cGMP concentration in the adrenal cortex of the rat.     

Levodopa-induced dyskinesias are associated with transient down-regulation of cAMP and cGMP in the caudate-putamen of hemiparkinsonian rats: Reduced synthesis or increased catabolism?

Second messenger cAMP and cGMP represent a key step in the action of dopamine that modulates directly or indirectly their synthesis. We aimed to verify whether levodopa-induced dyskinesias are associated with changes of the time course of levodopa/dopamine stimulated cAMP and cGMP levels, and/or with changes of their catabolism by phosphodiesterase activity in rats with experimental hemiparkinsonism. Microdialysis and tissue homogenates of the striatal tissues demonstrated that extracellular and intracellular cAMP/cGMP levels were lower in dyskinetic animals during the increasing phase of dyskinesias compared to eukinetic animals, but cAMP/cGMP levels increased in dyskinetic animals during the phase of decreasing and extinction of dyskinesias. Dyskinesias and the abnormal lowering of striatal cGMP and cAMP after levodopa were prevented by pretreatment with the multipotent drug amantadine, outlining the inverse relationship of cAMP/cGMP to dyskinesias. Moreover, dyskinetic animals showed higher striatal hydrolyzing cGMP-phosphodiesterase but not hydrolyzing cAMP-phosphodiesterase activity, suggesting that low cGMP but not cAMP levels could be due to increased catabolism. However, expressions of isozyme phosphodiesterase-1B and -10A highly and specifically located in the basal ganglia were not changed after levodopa in dyskinetic and eukinetic animals: accordingly, selective inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-1B and -10A were ineffective on levodopa dyskinesias. Therefore, the isozyme(s) expressing higher cGMP-phosphodiesterase activity in the striatum of dyskinetic animal should be determined. These observations suggest that dopamine-mediated processes of synthesis and/or degradation of cAMP/cGMP could be acutely impaired in levodopa dyskinesias, opening new ways to understanding physiopathology and treatment.     

Behavior of cellular cyclic nucleotides after hydrokinetic or ecbolic stimulation of the canine pancreas

The studies deal with the influence of secretin and various ecbolic secretagogues on tissue levels of cAMP and cGMP in vivo and in the isolated perfused canine pancreas. The mutual behaviour of cellular cAMP and cGMP is observed and compared with the time course of the respective secretory events. Synthetic secretin as well as CCK, acetylcholine or Caerulein likewise elevate tissue cAMP and cGMP simultaneously. There exists no difference in the magnitude of increase and in the time course of changes in tissue cyclic nucleotide levels between hydrokinetic and ecbolic stimulation. The rise in cAMP and cGMP coincides with the onset of the respective secretory events and reaches peak values contemporarily to the excretory maxima. The following decrease in tissue cyclic nucleotides approximatively parallels juice or enzyme secretion in the isolated perfused pancreas but differs widely in vivo. Under this condition cAMP and cGMP rapidly fall to basal levels during undiminished excretory function and show a second rise after cessation of the latter. Secretin and various ecbolic secretagogues do not increase tissue content of cyclic nucleotides in the same dose-dependent manner as can be observed with pancreatic secretion. The behaviour of cAMP and cGMP after addition of secretin and CCK or acetylcholine remains widely unchanged during calcium-free perfusion in spite of an extensive excretory inhibition. The corresponding rise in cellular cAMP and cGMP in the sequence of hydrokinetic as well as of ecbolic stimulation points to an analogous intracellular mediation of various secretagogues in different target cells of the exocrine canine pancreas.     

Cyclic nucleotides during chondrogenesis: concentration and distribution in vivo and in vitro

This study correlates endogenous levels of cAMP and cGMP with their immunohistochemical localization during chondrogenic differentiation of C57B1/6J mouse limb mesenchyme in vivo and in vitro. A transient decrease in cGMP but not cAMP was found from days 12 to 13 in vivo correlating with early stages of chondrogenesis in the developing limb. Intracellular levels of both cAMP and cGMP in high density limb mesenchyme cultures increased 25% after 24 hr in culture when aggregate and nodule formation was detectable. When cells were seeded at different initial plating densities to delay the onset of aggregate and nodule formation, increased levels of intracellular cAMP correlated temporally with the appearance of nodules. Both cyclic AMP and cGMP were immunohistochemically localized in perichondrial cells and chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, (1) cAMP levels correlated temporally with the appearance of chondrogenic cells and (2) cAMP and cGMP were immunohistochemically localized to chondrogenic cells. These data indicate that fluctuations of both cAMP and cGMP levels may be involved in limb cartilage differentiation. Although increases in both nucleotides were found to correlate with the onset of chondrogenesis in vitro, in vivo data suggest that the amount of cAMP relative to cGMP rather than the absolute amount of an individual cyclic nucleotide may be more significant in modulating differentiation.     

Cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP induced changes in control and hypertrophic cardiac myocyte function interact through cyclic GMP affected cyclic-AMP phosphodiesterases.

We tested the hypothesis that the negative functional effects of cyclic GMP (cGMP) would be greater after increasing cyclic AMP (cAMP), because of the action of cGMP-affected cAMP phosphodiesterases in cardiac myocytes and that this effect would be altered in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) produced by aortic valve plication. Myocyte shortening data were collected using a video edge detector, and O2 consumption was measured by O2 electrodes during stimulation (5 ms, 1 Hz, in 2 mM Ca2+) from control (n = 7) and LVH (n = 7) dog ventricular myocytes. cAMP and cGMP were determined by a competitive binding assay. cAMP was increased by forskolin and milrinone (10(-6) M). cGMP was increased with zaprinast and decreased by 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxilin-1-one (ODQ) both at 10(-6) and 10(-4) M, with and without forskolin or forskolin + milrinone. Zaprinast significantly decreased percent shortening in control (9 +/- 1 to 7 +/- 1%) and LVH (10 +/- 1 to 7 +/- 1%) myocytes. It increased cGMP in control (36 +/- 5 to 52 +/- 7 fmol/10(5) myocytes) and from the significantly higher baseline value in LVH (71 +/- 12 to 104 +/- 18 fmol/10(5) myocytes). ODQ increased myocyte function and decreased cGMP levels in control and LVH myocytes. Forskolin + milrinone increased cAMP levels in control (6 +/- 1 to 15 +/- 2 pmol/10(5) myocytes) and LVH (8 +/- 1 to 18 +/- 2 pmol/10(5) myocytes) myocytes, as did forskolin alone. They also significantly increased percent shortening. There were significant negative functional effects of zaprinast after forskolin + milrinone in control (15 +/- 2 to 9 +/- 1%), which were greater than zaprinast alone, and LVH (12 +/- 1 to 9 +/- 1%). This was associated with an increase in cGMP and a reduction in the increased cAMP induced by forskolin or milrinone. ODQ did not further increase function after forskolin or milrinone in control myocytes, despite lowering cGMP. However, it prevented the forskolin and milrinone induced increase in cAMP. In hypertrophy, ODQ lowered cGMP and increased function after forskolin. ODQ did not affect cAMP after forskolin and milrinone in LVH. Thus, the level of cGMP was inversely correlated with myocyte function. When cAMP levels were elevated, cGMP was still inversely correlated with myocyte function. This was, in part, related to alterations in cAMP. The interaction between cGMP and cAMP was altered in LVH myocytes.     

Cyclic nucleotide metabolism during lymphocyte transformation. I. Enzymatic mechanisms in changes in cAMP and cGMP concentration in Balb/c mice.

Balb/c mouse spleen lymphocytes incubated from 0 to 30 min with the mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), were examined for alterations in concentration of cGMP and cAMP using radioimmunoassay. An optimal concentration of LPS, 10 μg/10⁶ cells/ml, caused an increase in the cGMP concentration which reached a maximum of 53% above control values 10 min after the addition of LPS. cAMP concentration also increased, showing two peaks, the first after 5 min to 32% above control values and the second after 30 min to 52% above control values. Although these changes in cyclic nucleotide concentration are small in comparison with other studies, they demonstrate that consistent and statistically significant data are obtained following transformation by a mitogen at its optimal concentration rather than at a concentration that causes maximum cyclic nucleotide changes. Enzymatic mechanisms were also investigated in order to explain the changes in cyclic nucleotide concentration during Balb/c mouse splenocyte transformation that were reported earlier. In cells incubated with LPS, the specific activity of adenylate cyclase increased more than twofold within 10 min, while there was no change in guanylate cyclase activity. Furthermore, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity for both cAMP and cGMP increased by more than 20% over control values. These results explain the observed increase in cAMP, but not cGMP. It was demonstrated that cAMP was capable of inhibiting cGMP degradation by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase by as much as 70%. The same is true for the effect of cGMP on cAMP degradation. LPS tended to inhibit the latter with no effect on the former. The relative affect was shown to be dependent on the cGMP/cAMP ratio. Therefore, it is proposed that the elevation in cGMP concentration observed early in lymphocyte activation occurs as a consequence of the inhibition by each cyclic nucleotide on the hydrolysis of the other.     

Effects of N-Acetyl Aspartate, Aspartate, and Glutamate on cAMP and cGMP Levels in Developing Rat Cerebral Cortex

N-Acetyl-aspartate (N-Ac-Asp) incubated with minced cerebral cortex caused a dose-dependent increase in the levels of cAMP and cGMP. This effect was followed during postnatal development. N-Ac-Asp elicits the greatest increase in cAMP in 5-day-old and in cGMP in 40-day-old rats. The levels of cyclic AMP were always higher than those of cGMP. We also studied the effects of L-aspartate (Asp) and L-glutamate (Glu) on the levels of cyclic nucleotides in the cerebral cortex minces of rats different ages, and observed that both amino acids produced the maximum increase in cAMP at 10 days, whereas in the case of cGMP the maximal effect of Asp occurs earlier than 20 days and of Glu after 40 days. In the adult rat, the N-Ac-Asp effect on cAMP was greater than that produced by either Asp or Glu, whereas the levels of cGMP were similarly affected by all three. The data show a peak response of cAMP and cGMP to N-Ac-Asp, Asp, and Glu during cortical maturation. Because this response varies with postnatal time, N-Ac-Asp, and Glu may act upon different receptor sites.     

Effects of radioprotectors on the cAMP and cGMP systems

Summary The sulphur-containing radioprotectors mercaptoethylamine (MEA), aminoethylisothiourea (AET), 2-aminothiazoline, 4-oxo-2-aminothiazoline, and S-S-3-oxapentane-1,5-diisothiourea, and the radioprotective biogenic amines serotonin, histamine, and dopamine, caused the elevation of cAMP content and intensified the rate of cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation in tissues of animals following intraperitoneal injection at radioprotective doses. Biogenic amines stimulated the adenylate cyclase activity in membrane preparations from liver, spleen, and small-intestine mucosa; sulphur-containing radioprotectors caused no such effects. None of the radioprotectors affected cAMP and cGMP phosphodiesterases in vitro. AET and MEA inhibited guanylate cyclase in vitro, whereas serotonin and dopamine stimulated the enzyme. A biphasic change in the level of cGMP was observed in tissues after the administration of MEA and AET (more than 2-fold fall by 1–3 min after the administration of drug and 1.4-fold rise after 15–20 min); serotonin and dopamine caused a slow rise in the cGMP level; the cAMP/cGMP ratio in liver showed biphasic changes in level during the 20 min following injection of serotonin.The data obtained support the conclusion that the action of radioprotectors on cellular metabolism in animals may be mediated by the cAMP system. The reciprocal regulation of radioresistance by cAMP and cGMP is unlikely to exist.     

Changes in the cyclic nucleotides of rat thyroid, pituitary and plasma caused by methylthiouracil treatment.

Changes in the content of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP) and related enzyme activities were observed in the rat thyroid, pituitary and plasma during the prolonged increase of endogenous TSH produced by treatment with methylthiouracil (MTU). Experiments were performed after 4 weeks treatment with MTU. The wet weight and cAMP content per wet weight of the thyroid increased 3 and 1.4 times respectively, but cGMP showed a slight decrease. Pituitary weight increased 1.3 times, but cAMP and cGMP content did not change. The cAMP level in plasma also increased about 1.3 times, but cGMP did not increase. The cAMP-phosphodiesterase activity in the thyroid, pituitary and plasma was increased 1.9, 1.4 and 1.3 times respectively after MTU treatment, while cGMP-phosphodiesterase showed no significant change. ATPase activity in the thyroid and pituitary was also increased more than 1.5 times after MTU treatment, while 5'-nucleotidase activitity decreased remarkably. These data indicate that the metabolism of the cyclic nucleotide system in the thyroid is stimulated by TSH.     

Effects of cGMP and sodium nitroprusside on odor responses in turtle olfactory sensory neurons

The effects ofcGMP and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on odor responses in isolatedturtle olfactory neurons were examined. The inward current induced bydialysis of a mixture of 1 mM cAMP and 1 mM cGMP was similar to thatinduced by dialysis of 1 mM cAMP or 1 mM cGMP alone. After the neuronswere desensitized by the application of 1 mM cGMP, 3 mM8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP, a membrane-permeable cAMP analog, did notelicit any current, indicating that both cAMP and cGMP activated thesame channel. Extracellular application of SNP, a nitric oxide (NO)donor, evoked inward currents in a dose-dependent manner. However,application of SNP did not induce any currents after desensitization ofthe cGMP-induced currents, suggesting that SNP-induced currents aremediated via the cGMP-dependent pathway. Application of thecAMP-producing odorants to the neurons induced a large inward currenteven after neurons were desensitized to a high concentration of cGMP orSNP. These results suggest that the transduction pathway independent ofcAMP, cGMP, and NO also contributes to the generation of odor responsesin addition to the cAMP-dependent pathway.

     

Diurnal rhythms in cyclic nucleotide metabolism in Helix nervous system.

Concentrations of cAMP (cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate) and cGMP (cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate), in ganglia from the garden snail Helix pomatia, vary considerably over the course of the day. There is a maximum in the concentration of both cyclic nucleotides between 08:00 and 12:00 (lights on 06:00 to 18:00), with the cAMP maximum occurring slightly later than that in cGMP. In addition there can be several smaller maxima in cAMP and cGMP levels; the timing of these can be markedly different from experiment to experiment, with cAMP and cGMP sometimes in and sometimes out of phase with each other. This pattern is observed in Helix which had been activated from the dormant state 4-6 days earlier, but is not present in dormant or in long-active animals. The cyclic nucleotide rhythm can be seen in ganglia maintained in organ culture, and persists for at least 24 hours after removal of the tissue from the animal. There appears to be little change in the level of basal or NaF-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in Helix ganglia over the course of the day. On the other hand, both cAMP and cGMP phosphodiesterase activities exhibit rhythms which are consistent with the rhythms in cAMP and cGMP concentrations.     

Elevated cyclic GMP concentrations during estrogen induced differentiation of the chick oviduct.

The levels of cGMP and cAMP in the chick oviduct were evaluated during estrogen-induced differentiation and growth at two different stages of development. In the differentiating oviduct cGMP levels were found to change markedly. Tissue concentrations were elevated 35-fold by 2 hr after primary stimulation and about 3-fold at later time intervals. In contrast, constant levels of cGMP were observed during growth of the differentiated oviduct after secondary stimulation. cAMP concentrations were not or very little changed during differentiations and secondary stimulation of the oviduct. Our data suggest that elevated cGMP levels represent an active signal for the differentiative response of the chick oviduct to estrogens.     

Diverse directional changes of cGMP relative to cAMP in E. coli.

The relationships of the changes of cAMP and cGMP concentrations in $\text{E. coli}$ varied as a function of experimental conditions. (1) Cells starved for carbon source for a short time period had high cAMP and low cGMP concentrations. Addition of carbon source (succinate, glucose or α-methyl glucoside) led to a decrease in cAMP and an increase in cGMP (bi-directional change). (2) Washed cells starved for glucose for long time periods had low cAMP levels which did not change on glucose addition. Addition of succinate or glucose to such cells led to a transient increase in cGMP levels (uncoupled change). The cGMP concentration peaked at 15 minutes or 1 hour after glucose or succinate addition, respectively. (3) Sham shift-up experiments (addition of α-methyl glucoside to cultures growing in succinate) in $\text{E. coli}$ 1100 and CA 8000 showed decreases in cGMP levels in both strains; however, cAMP levels increased in the former (bi-directional change) and decreased in the latter (unidirectional change).     

Excitation, adaptation, and deadaptation of the cAMP-mediated cGMP response in Dictyostelium discoideum

Extracellular cAMP induces chemotaxis and cell aggregation in dictyostelium discoideum cells. cAMP added to a cell suspension is rapidly hydrolyzed (half-life of 10 s) and induces a rapid increase of intracellular cGMP levels, which reach a peak at 10 s and recover prestimulated levels at about 30 s. This recovery is not due to removal of the stimulus because the nonhydrolyzable analogue adenosine 3’,5’-monophosphorothioate-Sp- stereoisomer (cAMPS) induced a comparable cGMP response, which peaked at 10 s, even at subsaturating cAMPS concentrations. When cells were stimulated twice with the same cAMP concentration at a 30-s interval, only the first stimulus produced a cGMP response. Cells did respond to the second stimulus when the concentration of the second stimulus was higher than that of the first stimulus. By increasing the interval between two identical stimuli, the response to the second stimulus gradually increased. Recovery from the first stimulus showed first-order kinetics with a half-life of 1-2 min. The stimulation period was shortened by adding phosphodieterase to the cell suspension. The cGMP response was unaltered if the half-life of cAMP was reduced to 2 S. The peak of the transient cGMP accumulation still appeared at 10 s even when the half- life of cAMP was 0.4 s; however, the height of the cGMP peak was reduced. The cGMP response at 10 s after stimulation was diminished by 50 percent when the half-life of 10(-7) M cAMP was 0.5 s or when the half-life of 10(-8) M cAMP was 3.0 s. These results show that the cAMP signal is transduced to two opposing processes: excitation and adaptation. Within 10 s after addition of cAMP to a cell suspension the level of adaptation reaches the level of excitation, which causes the extinction of the transduction of the signal. Deadaptation starts as soon as the signal is removed, and it has first-order kinetics with a half-life of 1-2 min.     

Effect of radiation on cAMP,cGMP and Ca(2+)(i) pathways and their interactions in rat distal colon

The secretory response implicated in the intestinal response to luminal attack is altered by radiation. The cAMP, cGMP and Ca(2+)(i) pathways leading to secretion as well as the interactions between the cAMP pathway and the cGMP or Ca(2+)(i) pathway were studied in the rat distal colon 4 days after a 9-Gy abdominal X irradiation, when modifications mainly occurred. The secretory response in Ussing chambers and cAMP and cGMP accumulation in single isolated crypts were measured. The muscarinic receptor characteristics were determined in mucosal membrane preparations. The secretory response by the cAMP pathway (stimulated by vasoactive intestinal peptide or forskolin) and the cAMP accumulation in crypts were decreased (P < 0.05) after irradiation. The weak secretory response induced by the cGMP pathway (stimulated by nitric oxide or guanylin) was unaltered by radiation, and the small amount of cGMP determined in isolated crypts from the control group became undetectable in the irradiated group. Inducible NOS was not involved in the hyporesponsiveness to VIP after irradiation (there was no effect of an iNOS inhibitor). The secretory response by the Ca(2+)(i) pathway (stimulated by carbachol) was unaffected despite a decreased number and increased affinity of muscarinic receptors. The non-additivity of VIP and carbachol co-stimulated responses was unmodified. In contrast, VIP and SNP co-stimulation showed that NO enhanced the radiation-induced hyporesponsiveness to VIP through a reduced accumulation of cAMP in crypts. This study provides further understanding of the effect of ionizing radiation on the intracellular signaling pathways.     

Post-radiation changes in cyclic nucleotide levels and cAMP and cGMP in chromatin from rat blood lymphocytes

The change of contents of cyclic nucleotides (cAMP and cGMP) in lymphocyte chromatin of rats blood under norm and after X-ray irradiating in doses 0.5; 1 and 7.76 Gy was established. As well the change of correlation of the concentration of cAMP and cGMP in analysis in 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after irradiating of animals by X-ray in different dose intensivity were shown.     

Hyperkalemia, hyperglycemia, and plasma levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP induced by portal vein injection of cyclic nucleotides and their butyryl derivatives into dogs

The levels of serum potassium, blood glucose, and plasma adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate (cGMP) were studied after the portal vein injection of cyclic nucleotides and their derivatives, (cAMP, cGMP, N6, O2'-dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (DBcAMP), N6-monobutyryl adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate (NMBcAMP), and O2'-monobutyryl adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate (OMBcAMP), into dogs. Dose-related hyperglycemic responses were observed after the injection of DBcAMP (1-8 mg/kg). Transient and prominent hyperkalemia and hyperglycemia were caused by the injection of DBcAMP, NMBcAMP, and OMBcAMP (4 mg/kg). The hyperkalemic response was highest with NMBcAMP (1.22 mequiv./L), followed by OMBcAMP (0.64), DBcAMP (0.54), cGMP (0.47), and cAMP (0.41), whereas the hyperglycemic response was highest with NMBcAMP (146 mg/100 mL), followed by DBcAMP (93.6), OMBcAMP (77.1), and cAMP (56.0), and there was only a slight change with cGMP (28.4) compared with the control. The plasma level of cAMP was maximal with DBcAMP (1.92 nmol/mL), followed by NMBcAMP (1.28) and OMBcAMP (0.76), whereas the plasma levels of cGMP showed no evident change, except that caused by DBcAMP (0.27). Of the cyclic nucleotides tested, NMBcAMP was found to be most potent in causing both hyperkalemia and hyperglycemia. Based on these results, possible correlations between hyperkalemia, hyperglycemia, and plasma levels of cAMP and cGMP are discussed.