Mature macrophages (Mph) differentiated in culture from normal human peripheral blood monocytes (Mo) exhibit low activity as accessory cells (antigen-presenting cells) in T lymphocyte stimulation. A test system was established based on mitogenicity to quantitate the accessory activity of Mph-derived cells and to follow its changes for several days. The system used accessory cells treated with the oxidative mitogen, sodium periodate. The cells were subsequently co-cultured with pooled human lymphocytes from a cryopreserved stock. DNA synthesis in these cells was used as an indicator of accessory activity. Mph could be converted within 5-6 days into highly active accessory cells if a continuous stimulus of exogenously added dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP) was provided. Mph treated by db-cAMP retained a high degree of HLA-DR expression but typical Mph markers such as non-specific esterase, phagocytosis, and expression of Fc-receptors were down-regulated. Acid phosphatase and myeloperoxidase underwent only slight changes, while the monocyte marker 5'-nucleotidase remained undetectable. Morphologically, the cells rounded up and developed veils and dendritiform elongations. In contrast to dendritic cells, Mph-derived accessory cells retained the CD14 antigen characteristic of monocytes and Mph. It is concluded that Mph are able to respond to exogenous stimuli and to convert into a highly active accessory cell. This contrasts to the well-known state of the 'activated Mph' with respect to markers and function. Both states appear to be antagonistically controlled by intracellular second messengers, as the accessory cell phenotype is positively correlated with intracellular cyclic AMP increase, whereas Mph activation correlates with cyclic GMP increase.