Intracellular cAMP-dependent modulation of L-type Ca2+ channel activation in cultured rat islet beta-cells has been investigated using the patch-clamp whole-cell current recording mode. The L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ current (ICa) showed a fast activation followed by a slow inactivation, and was sensitive to Ca2+ channel blockers, for example nifedipine. Application of a cAMP analogue, dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), increased the magnitude of the peak ICa in a concentration-dependent manner. Values of the half-activation potentials (V1/2), taken from activation curves for ICa, were -16.7 +/- 1.8 and -21.9 +/- 3.4 mV (P < 0.05) before and after application of db-cAMP, respectively, with no change of the slope factor (k) or the reversal potential. Pretreatment with a specific protein kinase A antagonist, Rp-cAMP, prevented the potentiating effect of db-cAMP. These results indicate that in rat islet beta-cells, phosphorylation of cAMP-dependent kinase potentiates the voltage-dependent activation of L-type Ca2+ channels.