The selective deficit in delayed hypersensitivity that characterizes anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID) is the direct result of a blood borne, Ag-specific, cell-associated signal that is created after Ag is injected into the anterior chamber of the eye of normal mice. The cells that carry this signal via the blood to the spleen express the mature macrophage marker F4/80 and are similar to, or perhaps even arise from, F4/80+ dendritic cells found within the stroma of normal iris and ciliary body. We have recently reported that ACAID-inducing properties can be conferred upon conventional F4/80-bearing macrophages harvested from the normal peritoneal cavity by incubating these cells in vitro with the soluble protein Ag, BSA, in the presence of supernatants harvested from cultured iris and ciliary body cells. Using this in vitro induction system, we have examined the limiting conditions for conferring ACAID-inducing potential on peritoneal exudate cells. We have found that an ACAID-inducing signal can be created in vitro with several different soluble Ag, including the retinal autoantigen-interphotoreceptor retinol binding protein, and that active endocytosis and processing by peritoneal exudate cells is required because chloroquine prevents these cells from acquiring ACAID-inducing properties. In addition, we have determined that for supernatant-treated peritoneal macrophages to induce ACAID to soluble Ag the cells must be 1) alive, 2) injected i.v. or i.p. (but not s.c.), and 3) administered to recipients with an anatomically intact spleen. When these conditions are met, as few as 20 F4/80+ macrophages pulsed with Ag in the presence of iris and ciliary body supernatants are sufficient to induce ACAID. Macrophage hybridomas derived from "conventional" APC can acquire ACAID-inducing potential in vitro if exposed to iris and ciliary body supernatants, whereas macrophage hybridomas derived from "suppressor inducer" APC constitutively possess ACAID-induced potential. Peritoneal macrophages that were endowed with ACAID-inducing properties by in vitro exposure to supernatants were found to elicit splenic suppressor cells similar to those found in spleens of mice with ACAID. Moreover, the expression of experimental autoimmune uveitis in mice immunized with interphotoreceptor retinol binding protein was significantly suppressed if the animals were pretreated with peritoneal exudate cells pulsed with this Ag in the presence of iris and ciliary body supernatants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)