The mechanism of action of xanthines in asthma remains controversial. Since sensory innervation may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma, we investigated whether xanthines were capable of reducing the contractile response of the bronchi to nerve stimulation. In guinea-pig bronchi in vitro, electrical field stimulation (EFS: 40 V, 16 Hz, 0.2 ms during 10 s) induces a rapid cholinergic contraction followed by a long-lasting contraction due to a local release of neuropeptides from C-fibre endings. We measured isometric neuronally-mediated contractions of bronchial smooth muscle and studied the effects of increasing concentrations of two xanthine derivatives, theophylline, an antagonist of adenosine receptors, and enprofylline, which has no effect on adenosine receptors. Both enprofylline (1-50 microM) and theophylline (10-100 microM) inhibited, in a concentration-dependent manner, the peptidergic contraction, an effect which was more marked with enprofylline than theophylline (EC50 = 9.6 +/- 0.7 microM and 62.0 +/- 4.7 microM, respectively). Conversely, the cholinergic response was unaffected. Contractions induced by exogenous substance P (0.03-3 microM) were also unaffected by theophylline and enprofylline at the above mentioned EC50s. Our results suggest that concentrations of theophylline, similar to those used therapeutically, reduce the release of sensory neuropeptides from C-fibre endings. This effect is unrelated to adenosine receptor blockade, since enprofylline had a similar inhibitory effect.