1 The eects of the selective b 2 adrenoceptor agonists salbutamol, terbutaline and salmeterol and the non-selective b adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline on [ 3 H]-cyclic AMP formation and cyclic AMP response element (CRE) driven luciferase expression, assessed using the construct p6CRE/luc, were studied in primary cultures of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. 2 Optimal transfection conditions for transient expression of pGL3 Control were 4 mg DNA/well 71 in a 6 well plate and 1.8 ml Transfectam/mg DNA. Expression was maximal at 48 ± 72 h. 3 Salbutamol (maximum response 19%, EC 50 0.6 mM), terbutaline (maximum response 38%, EC 50 2.3 mM) and salmeterol (maximum response 18%, EC 50 0.0012 mM) were all partial agonists for cyclic AMP formation compared with isoprenaline (EC 50 0.08 mM). However, all of the b 2 adrenoceptor agonists produced increases in CRE-driven luciferase activity, in cultured HASM transfected with the vector p6CRE/luc, which were equivalent or greater (salmeterol) than those seen with isoprenaline. 4 Both salbutamol and salmeterol were more potent at increasing luciferase expression than in elevating cyclic AMP levels in these cells. The potency ratios (EC 50 (cyclic AMP) /EC 50 (LUC) ) for the agents studied were isoprenaline: 0.2 fold, terbutaline: 3 fold, salbutamol: 24 fold, salmeterol: 38 fold. 5 These data suggest that important quantitative dierences exist in the ability of b 2 adrenoceptor agonists to increase whole cell cyclic AMP levels in airway smooth muscle and to drive gene expression via a CRE-driven mechanism.