ϩ/ϩ mice interfered with lung PMN infiltration induced by E. coli and prevented the increase in lung microvessel permeability and edema formation, with most of the protection seen in the 1-h period after the E. coli. Thus our results demonstrate that CD11b plays a crucial role in mediating lung PMN sequestration and vascular injury in the early phase of gram-negative septicemia. The NIF ϩ/ϩ mouse model, in which CD11b is inactivated by binding to NIF, is a potentially useful model for in vivo assessment of the role of PMN CD11b in the mechanism of vascular inflammation. neutrophil inhibitory factor; NIF ϩ/ϩ mice; CD11b/CD18 integrin; neutrophil function; sepsis-induced lung injury; polymorphonuclear leukocyte RECRUITMENT OF polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in lungs has been implicated in the development of acute lung injury (ALI) (17, 28). The process of recruitment involves PMN adhesion to endothelial cells via  2 -integrins and transendothelial migration of PMNs into tissues (33). The PMN adhesion cascade comprises elements of tethering, rolling, activation, and firm adhesion (4, 33). Rolling and capture of PMNs are in large part mediated by endothelial P-selectin binding to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1). Stable adhesion of PMNs is mediated by the binding of PMN  2 -integrins CD11a/CD18 and CD11b/CD18 to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on the endothelial cell surface (33). The  2 -integrins, lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1; CD11a/CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18), are the major negative regulators of PMN rolling velocity; hence, deletion of  2 -integrin in mice (CD18 Ϫ/Ϫ mice) was shown to increase the PMN rolling velocity (8, 16).  2 -Integrins are also capable of binding to multiple ligands; Mac-1 recognizes extracellular matrix proteins (fibronectin, laminin, collagen, and elastin), ICAM-1 and ICAM-2 (11), blood coagulation proteins [fibrinogen (1), factor X (2), and kininogen (15)], neutrophil inhibitory factor (NIF) (25), complement pathway product (iC3b) (3), and nonprotein ligands [e.g., lipopolysaccharide (LPS), -glucan (35), and heparin (6)]. The broad binding specificity of Mac-1 is not shared by LFA-1 even though the two have overlapping functional properties (44). Functional defects have been reported for Mac-1 gene deletion in mice; these include impaired PMN respiratory burst response (5), absence of PMN spreading and adhesion (5,7,21,34), and reduced susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusioninduced tissue injury (32).NIF is a 47-kDa protein isolated from the parasite Ancylostoma caninum that interferes with the host-defense response by apparently inactivating CD11b (25). Recombinant NIF inhibited the adhesion of activated human PMNs to the endothelium and release of PMN H 2 O 2 over a concentration range (IC 50 10-20 nM) (25). NIF binding sites on PMNs showed selective, high-affinity binding to the I-domain of CD11b (25) and low-affinity binding to CD11a in phorbol ester-stimulated PMNs (20). NIF protein has 257 amino acids preceded by a 17-amino acid lea...