We have previously proposed that cytokine-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production is responsible for reversible myocardial depression in sepsis, trauma and ischemia. NO previously has been found to inhibit mitochondrial activity in other cell types. Accordingly, we sought to determine if cytokine-stimulated NO production inhibited cardiac myocyte mitochondrial activity. Treatment of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes with interleukin-beta (IL-1) resulted in the expression of mRNA for inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and stained positively for iNOS protein by immunohistochemistry. No iNOS staining was detected in untreated cells. IL-1 treatment resulted in significant nitrite levels vs control over 48 hrs (4.2 +/- 0.7 vs 0.3 +/- 0.2 nmol/1.25 x 10(5) cells, respectively) (n = 12) that was inhibited by 1mM NMA (0.3 +/- 0.2 nmoles; p < .01; n = 12). Mitochondrial activity was assessed by the MTT colorimetric assay using (3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and OD 570-630. Mitochondrial activity was significantly inhibited by IL-1 vs control cells (0.436 +/- 0.01 vs 0.608 +/- 0.03) and reversed by 1mM NMA (0.549 +/- 0.03) or removal of IL-1 (0.662 +/- 0.02) (p < .01; n = 12 for each). These data strongly suggest that cytokine-stimulated NO production by cardiac myocytes results in reversible inhibition of mitochondrial activity.