Summary—It has been reported that dipyridamole and some benzodiazepines potentiate the responses to adenosine in peripheral organs and in particular in the guinea pig isolated atria or trachea by inhibition of adenosine uptake and/or metabolism. In this study, we have examined the sensitization of guinea pig isolated trachea to relaxant responses to adenosine produced by dipyridamole, diazepam and 3 compounds chemically unrelated to benzodiazepines but which display selective agonistic activity towards the central (zolpidem and zopiclone) or peripheral (alpidem) type benzodiazpine receptors. In preparations under spontaneous tone and in the absence of adenosine, dipyridamole (10−5M) and diazepam (10−5–10−4M), alpidem (3 times 10−6M‐10−5M) and zopiclone (10−6–10−4M) induced a relaxation of the airway smooth muscle. In addition, diazepam (10−4M) attenuated the phasic response to histamine (10−5M). Dipyridamole (10−5M) and diazepam (10−4M) respectively produced a 56.2 and 32.4‐fold potentiation of adenosine relaxant effects. Alpidem (10−6–10−5M), zolpidem (10−6–10−4M) and zopiclone (10−6–10−4M) were without any significant effect on the adenosine concentration—response curves. Moreover, alpidem, zolpidem, and zopiclone did not modify the 2‐chloroadenosine dose‐response curves nor the diazepam induced sensitization of adenosine‐induced relaxation. In conclusion, adenosine sensitization of the guinea pig isolated trachea caused by diazepam might involve a peripherla benzodiazpine receptor subtype coupled to a nucleoside transporter system which is different from those recogni
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