Cyclic AMP inhibition of phosphoinositide turnover in human neutrophils

The effect of increased intracellular levels of cyclic AMP on phosphoinositide metabolism was studied in human neutrophils stimulated with fMet-Leu-Phe. Intracellular cyclic AMP was raised by preincubation either with dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline or with prostaglandin E1. Concentrations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline fully inhibitory for the metabolic responses inhibited phosphoinositide breakdown and phosphatidic acid formation to a large extent. The accumulation of the water-soluble inositol phosphates was also measured. In agreement with the data obtained on the phospholipids, inositol phosphate generation was found to be severely, though not completely, reduced. Treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP and theophylline also inhibited resynthesis of membrane inositol lipids. Treatment with prostaglandin E1 had a similar, though less, marked effect on inositol lipid turnover, which was parallel with a smaller inhibition of metabolic responses. We therefore suggest that the elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP mainly affects neutrophil responses by inhibiting the phosphoinositide cycle.