Biological properties of griseolic acid, a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor with an adenine group

Abstract

Griseolic acid inhibited cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) at low concentrations, the I50 being of the order of 0.01-0.1 microM. Administration of griseolic acid to rats increased the cAMP level in liver and plasma several-fold. It increased glycogen degradation in mouse liver and stimulated lipolysis in isolated rat fat cells. Griseolic acid did not block the adenosine-elicited accumulation of cAMP in guinea pig brain slices. It had no effect on cAMP-dependent protein kinase from rat liver nor on the adenyl cyclase from rat brain.