Effect of ionizing irradiation on the physiological activity of cyclic adenosine monophosphate on smooth muscle preparations.

The effect of ionizing irradiation on the physiological activity of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in smooth muscle preparations from frog lung was studied. cAMP, given as dibutyryl salt (dib-cAMP) inhibited the radiation induced contractions of the muscle in a manner similar to the action of theophylline. In vitro irradiation of dib-cAMP resulted in an alteration of the chemical structure of this substance, i.e., formation of monobutyryl-cAMP and further derivatives as well as a decomposition of the purine structure. There was also a loss of the relaxing activity of irradiated cAMP on the muscle tone of frog lung preparations. The physiologically measured inactivation of dib-cAMP was far more pronounced than the chemical alteration. An inhibitory effect of the reaction products is postulated.