Our recent studies have indicated that release of ATP/ADP from platelets causes enhanced O2-. responses in stimulated neutrophils. The current investigations were designed to provide further details of this phenomenon, to determine the structure-function correlates of the adenine compounds, and to assess if the results might be explained by the formation of a single metabolic product of ATP. ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine enhanced O2-. responses of rat neutrophils stimulated with immune complexes or formyl chemotactic peptide (FMLP) but had no effect on responses of phorbol ester-stimulated neutrophils. Similar results were obtained in human neutrophils stimulated with immune complexes; when FMLP was the agonist, the results were divergent: ATP and ADP enhanced the responses, whereas AMP and adenosine were inhibitory. In structure-function studies, hydrolytically resistant forms of ATP (and other adenine nucleotides) containing blocked or cross-linked phosphate groups were active, suggesting that hydrolysis of these compounds to a common metabolic product is not required for their effects on O2-. responses. In contrast, other chemical modifications of the ribose ring or adenine base of ATP resulted in greatly diminished activity. To further pursue the question of whether metabolism of the adenine compounds via the adenosine pathway was related to the observed effects on O2-. responses, addition to rat neutrophils of inhibitors of adenosine deaminase, S-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase, or xanthine oxidase failed to reproduce or augment the enhancement effects of the adenine compounds on O2-. responses, suggesting that metabolism of the adenine compounds to a common product may not be a requirement for the observed effects. Although the manner by which the adenine compounds affect O2-. responses is not known, the data suggest that adenosine and adenine nucleotides have important regulatory effects on oxygen radical responses of stimulated neutrophils.