The rat hepatoma cell line, H-35, responds to IL-1- and IL-6-type cytokines by an increased transcription of specific acute phase plasma protein (APP) genes. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), although ineffective on its own in regulating APP genes, modulates the action of the IL-type cytokines. In growing cultures, the IL-6 and IL-11 stimulation of thiostatin and hemopexin is enhanced by TGF-beta, whereas the stimulation of other APP is reduced. The effects of leukemia inhibitory factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor, IL-1, and TNF-alpha are generally attenuated by TGF-beta. Enhancement by TGF-beta of the IL-6-induced response can be explained in part by the fact that TGF-beta, in combination with dexamethasone, stimulates severalfold the expression of the 80-kDa ligand-binding subunit of IL-6R. Serum deprivation of H-35 cells for 3 days leads to an enhanced basal and cytokine-stimulated level of APP gene expression concomitant with a loss of the divergent regulatory effect of TGF-beta. In growth-arrested H-35 cells, TGF-beta still enhances the IL-6R expression but it attenuates all IL-6 effects on APP genes. These data suggest that TGF-beta influences the signal transduction of the IL-type cytokines by separate mechanisms and that the manifestation of the TGF-beta action is modulated by the growth state of the cell culture.