The influx of neutrophils into tissues in response to inflammatory stimuli involves C—X—C chemokines. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) stimulates chemokine production in vitro , but its role in vivo on chemokine production is not as clearly understood. We hypothesized that IL-1 mediates in vivo tissue C—X—C chemokine production induced by systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IL-1 activity was blockedbyIL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). Rats were injected with Salmonella typhi LPS (0.5 mg/kg) with and without prior administration of IL-1Ra. Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 (CINC-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) protein and mRNA levels, tissue neutrophil accumulation, and indices of organ injury were measured. LPS administration resulted in increased plasma, lung, and liver IL-1β that was decreased by IL-1Ra. LPS also induced an increase in plasma, lung, and liver CINC-1 and MIP-2 protein and mRNA. However, IL-1Ra had no effect on LPS-induced plasma or lung tissue CINC-1 levels. In contrast, IL-1Ra pretreatment did significantly decrease CINC-1 protein expression in the liver (45% decrease) and MIP-2 protein expression in plasma (100% decrease), lung (72% decrease) and liver (100% decrease) compared to LPS-treated controls. Steady-state mRNA levels by Northern blot analysis of both CINC-1 and MIP-2 in lung and liver were similar to the protein findings. Pretreatment with IL-1Ra also resulted in a 47% and 59% decrease in lung and liver neutrophil accumulation, respectively, following LPS. In addition, indices of both lung and liver injury were decreased in animals pretreated with IL-1Ra. In summary, LPS induces IL-1β and MIP-2 expression in the lung and liver, both of which are IL-1 dependent. Although lung neutrophil accumulation in both lung and liver after LPS is also IL-1 mediated, lung CINC-1 levels were unaffected by IL-1Ra. These data suggest that IL-1 regulates tissue chemokine expression and neutrophil accumulation after LPS.