Intravenous injection of BN 52021 in anesthetized guinea-pigs, 5 min before challenge, inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion with an IC50 of 0.90 mg/kg the bronchoconstriction induced by PAF (60 ng/kg i.v.). However, BN 52021 did not prevent the leukopenia following PAF injection but significantly inhibited the thrombocytopenia induced by PAF. The dioxolan compound, BN 52111, dose-dependently reduced the bronchoconstriction (IC50 = 0.27 mg/kg) and at doses higher than 1 mg/kg partially antagonized the decrease in the number of circulating platelets and leukocytes induced by PAF. BN 52115 also markedly inhibited the bronchoconstriction (IC50 = 0.36 mg/kg) as well as the thrombocytopenia induced by PAF, but was without significant effect on the leukopenia. These results demonstrate that the two dioxolan compounds, BN 52111 and BN 52115, are more potent than BN 52021 in inhibiting the in vivo bronchopulmonary alterations induced by PAF. Since these alterations are related to the activation of platelets by the autacoid, these blood elements are probably the targets of BN 52111 and BN 52115. Injection of PAF (10 and 100 ng) via the pulmonary artery of ventilated and perfused guinea-pig lungs induced dose-dependent increases in pulmonary inflation pressure (PIP) and pulmonary perfusion pressure (PPP), associated with a dose-dependent release of thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Addition of BN 52021, BN 52111 or BN 52115 (0.1, 1 or 10 microM) to the perfusion medium, 15 min before challenge, dose-dependently inhibited the bronchopulmonary effects of PAF. Although BN 52111 was the more potent in inhibiting the PAF-induced increase in PIP, BN 52021 was the more active with respect to the PAF-evoked generation of TxB2, suggesting that the two phenomena are not directly related.