The in vitro effects of insulin on different phosphodiesterase activities present in rat epididymal fat cells from normal and hypothyroid rats have been studied. Evidence is presented that insulin increases the maximum velocity of a particulate, low Km, cyclic adenosine-3', 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) phosphodiesterase in both types of cells, this effect being more clearly evident with the fat cells from hypothyroid animals; combination of insulin and thyroidectomy resulted in a 400% stimulation with 10-10 - 10-9 M insulin. A clear and significant effect was apparent at 10-11 M insulin. However, the dose-response curve was biphasic, since stimulation by insulin was suppressed for doses of hormone higher 10-8 - 10-7 M. Moreover, insulin effects were very fast, since clear stimulation was observed after only 2 min of incubation; the maximal increase was obtained after 10 min. Insulin did not significantly affect the soluble cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in normal cells, thus confirming results obtained by others. However, the soluble cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was clearly stimulated by insulin when the fat cells were prepared from hypothyroid rats. Maximal stimulation was obtained with 10-9 M insulin; the response was again very fast. Soluble cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity was also increased additively by hypothyroidism and insulin, maximal stimulation being obtained with 10-9 M insulin. With this dose of insulin the additive effects of thyroidectomy and insulin produced a 5-fold stimulation. The effect of insulin on the soluble cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase was very fast (2-5 min). With both soluble cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities, insulin increased the maximal velocity but not apparent Km of the enzyme. Thus, hypothyroidism and insulin produced additive effects suggesting a different mechanism of action of these two hormonal situations on the degradation of the intracellular pools of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP.