In vitro, metabolism of modified forms of low density lipoprotein (LDL) by macrophages via the acetyl-LDL receptor pathway promotes the massive cellular accumulation of lipid. It has been postulated that in vivo this contributes to foam cell formation in the atherosclerotic lesion. Recent studies have shown that arterial wall cells in vitro can secrete a number of cytokines, several of which have been reported to modulate macrophage cell function. Thus, cytokines have the potential to modulate the acetyl-LDL receptor pathway and to influence the rate of foam cell generation. To study the regulation of this pathway by cytokines, the effect of cytokines on the degradation of acetyl-LDL protein by mouse peritoneal macrophages was examined. Initially, supernatant from stimulated lymphocytes was used as a source of cytokines. Macrophages preincubated with supernatants obtained after the stimulation of T-cell helper type 1 (Th1) clone HDK-1 or BALB/c spleen cells degraded acetyl-LDL at a slower rate, whereas supernatant from stimulated T-cell helper type 2 (Th2) clone D-10 had no effect. Comparison of the lymphokine profiles showed that spleen and HDK-1 cells secreted several lymphokines in common including significant levels of interferon-gamma. Interferon-gamma was then directly shown to be inhibitory; an anti-interferon-gamma monoclonal antibody blocked the HDK-1-mediated inhibition by 70% and the addition of recombinant interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to macrophages inhibited the specific degradation of acetyl-LDL in a dose- and time-dependent manner with a maximum suppression to approximately 40% of control. The inhibition was not accompanied by an increase in the amount of cell-associated acetyl-LDL and was not due to cell death nor could it be accounted for by the presence of endotoxin. To study the mechanism of the inhibition, the effects of IFN-gamma on the itinerary of acetyl-LDL and its receptor were examined. IFN-gamma decreased specific acetyl-LDL binding only to a small degree, and the rate of lysosome-mediated degradation was not affected. The principal alteration was in the rate of transport to the lysosome which was markedly slowed. Since the receptors eventually returned to the surface to maintain a steady state, and there was not an increase in cell-associated lipoprotein, there must be other changes in the itinerary that were not identified with the techniques used. Thus, the receptor cycle is being regulated at a discrete point. IFN-gamma also suppressed the LDL receptor pathway in macrophages, but this pathway was not affected by IFN-gamma in mouse fibroblasts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)