The aim of this work was to study the induction and secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and some oxidative stress parameters after ethanol (EtOH), acetaldehyde (Ac) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment on HepG2 cells. Cells were treated with 50 mM EtOH, 175 &mgr;M Ac or 1 &mgr;g/ml of LPS. IL-8 induction and secretion were determined in the presence of the toxics, and the effect of antioxidants N-acetyl-L-cysteine and 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-thiourea was evaluated. Further, the effect of adding polyclonal anti-human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and H(2)O(2) was studied, and catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined. Lipid peroxidation increased significantly only in Ac-treated cells. All toxics failed to decrease significantly the intracellular levels of reduced GSH. Catalase activity was diminished in all treatments, while other enzyme activities did not present changes. No change in peroxide production was found with any treatment. IL-8 secretion increased in Ac (41%) and in LPS (38%)-treated cells. Antioxidant and anti-TNF-alpha treatments decreased IL-8 secretion. H(2)O(2) (0.25 mM)-treated cells increased IL-8 secretion. IL-8 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction results correlated with secretion values. Our results show that Ac and LPS treatment produced an increased IL-8 induction and secretion. Oxidative stress and TNF-alpha are mediators in IL-8 response. This observation suggests that in the in vivo liver, the mechanism of ethanol-induced IL-8 production requires ethanol metabolism, and hepatocytes do not require the interaction among different populations of liver cells to respond.