There is some evidence that the potent cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is able to induce tolerance after repeated stimulation of cells. To investigate the molecular mechanisms mediating this phenomenon, the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), which is regulated by transcription factors NF-B and C/EBP, was monitored under TNF tolerance conditions. Pretreatment of monocytic cells for 72 h with low TNF doses inhibited TNFinduced (restimulation with a high dose) IL-8 promoterdependent transcription as well as IL-8 production. Under these conditions neither activation of NF-B nor I B proteolysis was affected after TNF re-stimulation, albeit a slightly reduced I B-␣ level was found in the TNF pretreated but not re-stimulated sample. Remarkably, in tolerant cells an increased binding of C/EBP to its IL-8 promoter-specific DNA motif as well as an elevated association of C/EBP protein with p65-containing NF-B complexes was observed. Finally, overexpression of C/EBP, but not p65 or Oct-1, markedly prevented TNFinduced IL-8 promoter-dependent transcription. Taken together, these data indicate that the expression of IL-8 is inhibited at the transcriptional level in TNF-tolerant cells and C/EBP is involved under these conditions in mediating the negative-regulatory effects, a mechanism that may play a role in inflammatory processes such as sepsis.