The secondary messenger cyclic AMP plays an important role in regulating biliary excretory function by stimulating the transcytotic vesicle transport system, whereas papaverine exerts an inhibitory effect on this system. We therefore investigated their effects on bile acid-induced cytotoxicity and intrahepatocytic content of bile acid in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Simultaneous addition of 1 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP), an analogue of cAMP, with 1 mM taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA) significantly decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as compared with the case with 1 mM TCDCA alone (7.1 +/- 0.13% of total versus 10.7 +/- 0.3%). In contrast, 0.1 mM papaverine approximately doubled the amount of LDH (22.0 +/- 0.6% of total versus 10.7 +/- 0.3%; P < 0.01). The intracellular content of TCDCA 180 min after the administration of 1 mM TCDCA alone was 20.8 +/- 0.7 nmol/mg protein, that after simultaneous administration of 1 mM DBcAMP, 16.2 +/- 1.0 nmol/mg protein, and that after the simultaneous administration of 0.1 mM papaverine, 38.5 +/- 1.9 nmol/mg protein. A clear correlation between the release of LDH from hepatocytes and the intracellular content of TCDCA was thus observed. When given together with 1 mM taurocholic acid (TCA) or 1 mM tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), papaverine exerted little effect on cytotoxicity or intrahepatocytic bile acid content. When cells were bathed in a medium free of bile acid after pretreatment with 1 mM TCDCA and 1 mM DBcAMP, additional exposure to DBcAMP for 30 min significantly stimulated reduction of intracellular TCDCA content (30.2 +/- 0.4% of total versus 44.0 +/- 1.4%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)