While the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) by inflammatory cytokines or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has received considerable attention, NO modulation of cytokine expression has yet to be fully explored. The NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), inhibited interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-6 production in LPS-stimulated human whole blood in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of 1 microgram/mL LPS, L-NAME blocked IL-8 release (72 +/- 4% inhibition at 20 mM (mean +/- SEM, p < .05)) 24 h post-LPS without affecting cellular viability. IL-6 production was significantly inhibited only with the highest dose of L-NAME used. L-NAME inhibition of IL-8 production was also observed at the mRNA level. Conversely, direct exposure of whole blood to NO with the spontaneous NO liberator DETA NONOate caused a dose-dependent stimulation of IL-8, but had no effect on IL-6 release. IL-8 concentrations rose from 8.3 +/- 1.9 ng/mL at 24 h to 31.7 +/- 7.6 ng/mL at 72 h with a single stimulation of 10 mM DETA NONOate. The hydroxyl radical scavenger dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) prevented the DETA NONOate induction of IL-8, suggesting the participation of the hydroxyl radical in the NO-induced IL-8 production. These results provide important evidence substantiating a role for NO as a regulator of cytokine expression.