The liver participates in inflammation via the elaboration of acute phase proteins from hepatocytes in response to IL-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6/INF-beta 2/hepatocyte-stimulating factor. In addition, some inflammatory states of the liver are characterized by leukocyte infiltrates. Here we demonstrate that human hepatocyte lines are capable of expressing mRNA and biologic activity for a neutrophil chemotactic factor (NCF)/IL-8 in response to the inflammatory mediators IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, and TNF. Two human hepatoma cell lines (SK-Hep and Hep-G2) displayed a time- and dose-dependent increase in steady state levels of NCF/IL-8 mRNA and secretion of chemotactic activity in response to TNF and IL-1. Neutralizing antibody to NCF/IL-8 inhibited hepatocyte-derived chemotactic activity by 88%. In contrast to IL-1 and TNF, hepatocytes did not respond to LPS or IL-6 within the time and dose parameters used above. Although the expression of NCF/IL-8 mRNA (1.8 kb) was first detectable between 1 and 2 h poststimulation, significant chemotactic bioactivity was not observed until about 4 h. Heat-inactivated (100 degrees C, 30 min) cytokine failed to induced NCF/IL-8 mRNA synthesis, and cotreatment of cells with cytokine and cycloheximide super-induced NCF/IL-8 mRNA while inhibiting production of bioactivity. Thus, NCF/IL-8 expression is a primary induction phenomenon. Our data demonstrate the stimulus specific induction of NCF/IL-8 in hepatocytes and suggest that cytokine cell-to-cell communication circuits may be important in neutrophil-mediated inflammatory processes in the liver.