Adenosine and adenosine receptor antagonists are involved in glucose homoeostasis. The participating receptors are not known, mainly due to a lack of specific agonists and antagonists, but are reasonable targets for anti-diabetic therapy. The stable, albeit nonselective, adenosine analogue NECA (5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) (10 microM) reduced glucose-stimulated insulin release from INS-1 cells. This was mimicked by A(1)-(CHA), A(2A)-(CGS-21680) and A(3)-receptor agonists (Cl-IB-MECA). Two newly synthesized A(2B)-receptor antagonists, PSB-53 and PSB-1115, counteracted the inhibitory effect of NECA. These in-vitro effects were mirrored by in-vivo data with respect to CHA, CGS and Cl-IB-MECA. Distinct concentrations of either PSB-53 or PSB-1115 reversed the decrease in plasma insulin induced by NECA. This was not mimicked by a corresponding change in blood glucose. The effect of PSB-1115 was also obvious in diabetic GotoKakizaki rats: plasma insulin was increased whereas blood glucose was unchanged. During most experiments the effects on blood glucose were not impressive probably because of the physiologically necessary homoeostasis. The adenosine levels were not different in normal Wistar rats and in diabetic GotoKakzaki rats. Altogether the A(2B)-receptor antagonists showed an anti-diabetic potential mainly by increasing plasma insulin levels under conditions when the adenosine tonus was elevated in-vivo and increased insulin release in-vitro.