The effect of dietary tyrosine and phenylalanine restriction on splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity was studied in tumor-free B6D2F1 and NIH nude mice and in B16 bladder-6 (BL6) melanoma-bearing B6D2F1 mice. This dietary restriction was found to suppress the naturally elevated NK-cell activity of nude mice and to induce a specific lymphocytopenia in B6D2F1 mice fed the restricted diet for a prolonged period. Baseline NK-cell activity was significantly lower in tumor-free B6D2F1 mice fed a diet restricted in tyrosine and phenylalanine (restricted diet) than in tumor-free mice fed a basal diet. Similar kinetics of activation after a single i.p. injection of 100 micrograms of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) were observed in mice fed both diets. NK-cell activity was not significantly augmented after i.v. inoculation of BL6 melanoma, irrespective of the diet fed; however, it was enhanced in tumor-bearing mice after poly I:C injection. This augmentation was similar to that observed in tumor-free mice. Spleen cells from mice fed either diet were responsive to stimulation of NK-cell activity after in vitro incubation with interleukin-2. These results indicate that dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine, a potentially useful therapeutic adjunct known to lower NK-cell activity, does not significantly interfere with poly I:C or interleukin-2 induction of NK cells. Our results also demonstrate that, while this dietary restriction causes lymphocytopenia, no effect of the diet could be found on total serum IgG or circulating immune complex levels.