The effects of adenylate cyclase inhibition on the transport of glucose and fructose and their incorporation into glycogen were investigated in order to assess the extent to which lowered cAMP levels can take part in the various components of glycogen synthesis regulation in isolated rat epididymal adipocytes. The dose-response characteristics of (R)-N-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (PIA), a potent and specific adenylate cyclase inhibitor, on glycogen synthesis were compared with those effectively inhibiting lipolysis, a measure of functional cAMP levels. PIA had no effect on basal glucose or fructose transport but stimulated glucose and fructose incorporation into glycogen. Their respective incorporation was 10 and 69% of that achieved in the presence of insulin. These effects of PIA were shown to be in part the result of increased glycogen synthase I activity. PIA was 20% as effective as insulin in this action. Thus, were insulin to lower cAMP levels and/or inhibit cAMP-dependent protein kinase, this action would be irrelevant to glucose transport but would contribute to the stimulation of glycogen metabolism. However, an additional mechanism(s) involving neither increased glucose transport nor lowered cAMP levels is required to account for the full action of insulin. Fat cells in the absence of medium glucose and in the presence of 10(-7) M PIA and adenosine deaminase constitute a system functionally depleted of cAMP where this mechanism can be studied in isolation.