In this report we show that IL-4 inhibits DNA synthesis induced by stimulation of human B cells with mitogenic doses of either soluble anti-mu mAb DA44 or phorbol ester. In contrast, earlier steps of anti-mu-induced B cell stimulation, such as RNA synthesis, CD23 expression and IL-6 production, were not inhibited but rather increased in the presence of IL-4. From these results, IL-4 appears therefore to exert two opposite effects on DA44 anti-mu mAb-induced human B cell activation: early steps are stimulated, and later steps inhibited. The results of kinetic analysis were consistent with this model. The inhibitory activity of IL-4 required an active cAMP-dependent pathway since IL-4-mediated inhibition of anti-mu-induced B cell proliferation was abolished in the presence of two specific inhibitors of the cAMP pathway (H8 and 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine which are specific for cAMP-dependent protein kinase and adenylate cyclase respectively). Furthermore, IL-4 induced a delayed and prolonged increase in intracellular cAMP concentrations (observed between 4 and 48 hours of culture), and this strongly suggests that the late inhibitory effects of IL-4 is cAMP-dependent. Moreover, this delayed IL-4-mediated cAMP production is probably sufficient to prevent anti-mu induced DNA synthesis since addition of the cAMP agonist forskolin on day 1 or 2 of culture also suppresses the anti-mu-mediated B cell proliferation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)