We have recently reported that guinea-pig eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis (ECF-A), an activity present in diffusates from antigen-challenged sensitized lung, is largely accounted for by leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and to a lesser extent 8(S)15(S)-dihydroxy 5,9,11,13 (Z,E,Z,E) eicosatetraenoic acid. We characterized cell surface receptors for LTB4 on guinea-pig eosinophils in order to demonstrate an association between receptor occupancy and eosinophiliotactic activity of guinea-pig ECF-A. Equilibrium binding studies showed that peritoneal eosinophils bound [3H]LTB4 in a cell concentration and time-dependent fashion. The binding was saturable and specific for LTB4 as other eosinophil chemoattractants, i.e. platelet-activating factor (PAF) and 8(S)15(S)-diHETE, were unable to displace significant amounts of [3H]LTB4. In addition the binding was readily reversed by the LTB4 receptor antagonist LY 255283 (Ki 4.30 nM). Scatchard plot analysis revealed two discrete populations of binding sites, high affinity (Kd1 = 0.30 nM; Bmax = 900 sites/cell) and low-affinity sites (Kd2 = 140 nM; Bmax = 60,000 sites/cell). The major migratory component of LTB4-stimulated eosinophil locomotion was chemotaxis, optimal at 1 x 10(-7) M (P < 0.01) with EC50 value of 3 x 10(-9) M. A comparison of the profile of arachidonic acid metabolism by RP-HPLC analysis showed that following stimulation with calcium ionophore (A23187) guinea-pig eosinophils preferentially synthesized LTB4 (10 ng/10(6) cells) while in contrast human eosinophils synthesized LTC4 (10 ng/10(6) cells). Therefore our data show that guinea-pig eosinophils express both high- and low-affinity receptors for LTB4 and that the chemotactic response to this mediator may be mediated by ligation of the high-affinity binding site. Furthermore guinea-pig peritoneal eosinophils can synthesize LTB4, a mediator which constitutes > 60% of guinea-pig ECF-A.