1. The profile of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoenzymes and the relaxant effects of isoenzyme selective inhibitors were examined in bovine tracheal smooth muscle. The compounds examined were the non-selective inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), zaprinast (PDE V selective), milrinone and Org 9935 (4,5-dihydro-6-(5,6-dimethoxy-benzo[b]thien-2-yl)-5-methyl-1 (2H)-pyridazinone; both PDE III selective), rolipram (PDE IV selective) and Org 30029 (N-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxy-benzo[b]-thiophene-2-carboximidamide HCl a dual PDE III/IV inhibitor). 2. Ion exchange chromatography showed three main peaks of PDE activity. The first peak was stimulated by Ca2+/calmodulin (PDE I), the adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) hydrolytic activity of the second peak was stimulated by guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) (PDE II) whilst that of the third peak was not significantly modified by any regulator (PDE IV). Calmodulin affinity chromatography revealed the additional presence of cyclic GMP-specific PDE (PDE V) in the first peak. A clearly distinct peak of cyclic GMP-inhibited PDE (PDE III) was not observed. However, Org 9935 inhibited the third activity peak more effectively in the presence, than in the absence, of rolipram (3 mumol l-1), indicating the presence of PDE III activity. 3. Rolipram was the most potent inhibitor of PDE IV. The mean -log50 IC50 values for rolipram, IBMX, milrinone, Org 30029, Org 9935 and zaprinast were 5.9 +/- 0.1, 4.9 +/- 0.1, 4.7 +/- 0.1, 4.6 +/- 0.1 and 4.6 +/- 0.1, respectively. 4. Rolipram was a potent relaxant of both histamine (1 pumol -') and methacholine (0.03 pmol -') precontracted preparations; (pD2 values; histamine 7.1 +/- 0.1, methacholine 6.8 /-+ 0.2 and 4.5 +/- 0.1, biphasic relaxation). IBMX also relaxed all preparations (pD2 values; histamine 5.6 +/- 0.1, methacholine 5.6 +/- 0.1) whilst zaprinast (pD2 values; histamine 5.2 +/- 0.1, methacholine 4.4 +/- 0.3), milrinone (pD2 values; histamine 5.2 + 0.1, methacholine 4.3 + 0.3) and Org 9935 (pD2 values; histamine 4.1 + 0.1, methacholine 4.1 +/- 0.2) did not completely relax preparations at concentrations up to 100 pImol I-. Org 30029 (pD2 values; histamine 6.2 +/- 0.1, methacholine 5.4 +/- 0.1) was a more effective relaxant than can be explained on the basis of PDE IV inhibition alone.5. We conclude that bovine tracheal smooth muscle contains five distinct PDE isoenzymes. PDE IV appears to be more important in the modulation of tissue function than PDE III and PDE V.