Tumor growth causes macrophages (M phi) to suppress T-cell proliferation by inducing M phi production of soluble suppressor molecules. Because interleukin (IL)-10 inhibits production of most M phi-derived molecules, we investigated the effects of IL-10 on murine M phi suppressor function during tumor growth. When acting as accessory cells during alloantigen-induced CD4+ T-cell proliferation, syngeneic tumor-bearing host (TBH) peritoneal M phi suppressed normal host (NH) T-cell proliferation more than their normal counterparts. Exogenous IL-10 suppressed alloantigen-stimulated CD4+ T-cell proliferation in the absence of accessory M phi, but it blocked TBH M phi-mediated suppression. IL-10 pretreatment of M phi reversed suppression mediated by TBH M phi but did not affect NH M phi activity. Supernatant transfer experiments showed that IL-10 blocked TBH M phi-mediated suppression by inhibiting soluble suppressor molecule production. Activated TBH M phi produced greater quantities of the suppressor molecules tumor necrosis factor-alpha, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor than NH M phi did. Exogenous IL-10 reduced production of these molecules by TBH M phi more than by NH M phi. Activated TBH M phi produced more IL-10 than NH M phi, suggesting that endogenous IL-10 contributes to increased TBH M phi sensitivity to exogenous IL-10's inhibitory action. The antibody-mediated neutralization of endogenous IL-10 activity relieved NH, but not TBH, M phi-mediated suppression of T-cell proliferation. This result supports the idea that TBH M phi are more sensitive to the inhibitory action of IL-10 on suppressor molecule production. IL-10 is known to inhibit M phi antigen-presenting cell-dependent helper T-cell proliferation. We report here that IL-10 restores TBH helper T-cell functions by blocking accessory M phi production of inhibitory molecules. This restoration suggests that IL-10's M phi deactivating activity provides an upregulatory role in immunocompromised individuals where suppressor M phi are abundant.