In this study, we investigated whether TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, CTMA (carboxymethyl trimethylammonium) and LPD (Lup-20[29]-ene-3beta,28-diol) affect mucin release from airway goblet cells and compared the activities of these agents with the inhibitory action of PLL and the stimulatory action of ATP on mucin release. Confluent primary hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells were metabolically radiolabeled with 3H-glucosamine for 24 h and chased for 30 min in the presence of varying concentrations of each agent to assess the effects on 3H-mucin release. The results were as follows: TNF-alpha, CTMA and LPD increased mucin release at the highest concentration, but IL-1beta did not. We conclude that CTMA and LPD can stimulate mucin release by directly acting on airway mucin-secreting cells, and suggest that these agents should be further investigated for the possible use as mild expectorants during the treatment of chronic airway diseases.