Melanoma-derived lipoprotein lipase inhibitor (MLPLI) is a factor purified from the conditioned medium of a human melanoma cell line, SEKI, which induced severe cachexia in tumor-bearing nude mice. Amino acid sequencing revealed that the amino-terminal portion was identical to that of leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF). To determine whether MLPLI is actually LIF, the expression of LIF mRNA was examined in the SEKI melanoma cell line. Northern blot analyses revealed that the cell line displayed an intense hybridizable band with a molecular size of 3.8 kilobases, suggesting that MLPLI is identical to LIF. The relationship between the development of the cancer cachexia syndrome and the expression of LIF mRNA was examined in four melanoma xenografts, SEKI, G361, A375 and MEWO, in nude mice. SEKI- and G361-bearing nude mice developed cancer cachexia syndrome, and their body weights decreased by the 25th day after the transplantation to 73.6% and 73.8% of the control, respectively. A375- and MEWO-bearing nude mice, however, did not develop the syndrome. Northern blot analyses revealed that G361 as well as SEKI expressed a large amount of LIF mRNA, but A375 and MEWO did not, suggesting a close relationship between the expression of LIF mRNA and the development of the syndrome. These data support the concept that MLPLI, or LIF, plays an important role in the development of the cancer cachexia syndrome observed in melanoma-bearing nude mice.