Interleukin-1 (IL-1), one of the most important inflammatory cytokines, promotes glia to express intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in vitro. IL-1 is known to be produced in situ immediately after brain insults and recently we have found that glia, including astrocytes, express ICAM-1 in vivo following cortical stab wounds. To evaluate the participation of IL-1 beta in posttraumatic ICAM-1 expression on glia in vivo, we performed the following experiments. A cortical stab wound was made in the brain of a mouse. ICAM-1-immunopositive glia began to emerge around the wound from 6 h postlesioning. The number of cells reached a maximum at 48 h and persisted until 7 days postlesioning. Next, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against IL-1 beta was infused into the wound immediately following the injury. This treatment resulted in a significant reduction of ICAM-1-positive glia at 24 and 48 h postlesioning. We conclude, therefore, that IL-1 beta affects ICAM-1 expression on glia in vivo after experimental brain injury and presumably plays an important role in brain wound repair.