1. The pharmacological actions of the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, celiprolol, bisoprolol and propranolol were investigated in human lung tissue by radioligand binding experiments as well as in human isolated bronchi by functional experiments in organ baths. 2. Data from lung tissue were compared to those obtained from myocardial membranes. 3. Lung tissue was obtained from 10 patients having undergone lung resection for bronchial carcinoma and myocardial tissue from a patient who had received a heart transplantation. 4. In radioligand binding experiments, celiprolol exhibited a high affinity binding to beta 1-adrenoceptors in heart and a low affinity binding to beta 2-adrenoceptors in lung tissue. The selectivity obtained for the beta 1-adrenoceptor was calculated to a factor of eleven. 5. Compared to bisoprolol and propranolol, celiprolol elicited the lowest affinity for the beta-adrenoceptor, as judged from the K1-values. 6. In the absence and presence of the guanine nucleotide Gpp(NH)p celiprolol did not affect receptor binding. 7. In functional experiments on intact bronchi, celiprolol, bisoprolol and propranolol failed to produce relaxation (+/- forskolin) or a significant difference in efficacy in antagonizing the relaxant effects of isoprenaline. However, a rank order of potencies was revealed (propranolol:bisoprolol:celiprolol = 46:12:1). 8. Plasma concentrations for celiprolol and bisoprolol usually achieved in vivo were below the IC50 value obtained in vitro. In contrast, for propranolol, plasma concentrations were nearly identical with the IC50 value. 9. It is concluded that celiprolol is a selective beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist on human heart and has no agonistic properties on intact human bronchi. Compounds such as celiprolol and bisoprolol may in comparison to propranolol, possess reasonable therapeutic advantages in the treatment of patients with obstructive lung disease due to their low affinity for beta 2-adrenoceptors.