Circulating opsonic activity and reticuloendothelial system (RES) phagocytic function were determined in anesthetized rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock. Animals were hemorrhaged to and maintained at 40 mmHg arterial blood pressure until they spontaneously took back 5% or 40% of the maximum bled volume. The phagocytic index, as determined by colloid clearance kinetics, was decreased in both groups following reinfusion of the shed blood. The reduction in phagocytic index was associated with decreased liver, unchanged spleen, and increased lung test colloid localization. Plasma opsonic activity, as determined by liver slice bioassay, was decreased 50-60% at 5% and 40% uptake of the maximum shed volume, decreased further 15 min after reinfusion in both groups, and tended to recover 1 h after reinfusion in the 5% uptake group. In vitro hepatic phagocytic activity of liver slices from shocked animals in the presence of normal rat plasma was decreased only in the 40% uptake animals after reinfusion when the arterial blood pressure had decreased to 50 mmHg. These data indicate that the depression of RES phagocytic function during hemorrhagic shock is associated with and may be mediated, in part, by decreased circulating opsonic activity.