Interactions between adenylate cyclase inhibitors and beta-adrenoceptors were investigated in isolated human fat cells. Phenylisopropyl adenosine, nicotinic acid and prostaglandine E2 induced a dose-dependent decrease in beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity; the concentration of isoprenaline causing half-maximum lipolytic effect increased 100-fold. The affinity constants for the high and low affinity beta-adrenoceptor states were increased 3000 and 700 times, respectively, but the total number of binding sites was unchanged. Pertussis toxin caused a dose-dependent increase of beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity to isoprenaline. There was a 200-fold increase in isoprenaline sensitivity in the lipolysis experiments and corresponding increases in the receptor affinity in the binding experiments. It is concluded that the affinity of human fat cell beta-adrenoceptors is reduced by adenylate cyclase inhibitors. This seems to be mediated by the Gi-protein and represents a new potential mechanism by which lipolysis is regulated by inhibitors of adenylate cyclase in man.