The cell activation inhibitor CI-959 [5-methoxy-3-(1-methyl-ethoxy)-N-1H- tetrazol-5-ylbenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide, monosodium salt] was evaluated for its effect on the activation of human eosinophils, macrophages, and neutrophils by the phagocytic stimulus serum-opsonized zymosan (SOZ). CI-959 inhibited the respiratory burst of eosinophils and neutrophils, measured as the generation of superoxide anion, with IC50s of 9.6 and 14.5 microM, respectively. In contrast, 100 microM CI-959 inhibited superoxide anion generation by human macrophages by only 22.7%. The compound exhibited a different inhibition profile for lysosomal enzyme release from these cells. At 100 microM, CI-959 inhibited the release of eosinophil peroxidase and macrophage N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase by only 19.5 and 25.6%, respectively. In contrast, CI-959 inhibited the release of the neutrophil primary granule enzyme myeloperoxidase with an IC50 of 7.5 microM, while inhibiting release of lysozyme from secondary granules by only 11.4% at 100 microM. These results demonstrate that oxygen radical generation and lysosomal enzyme release by human leukocyte populations are differentially regulated by CI-959.