The enhancing effect of macrophages on interleukin-2 (IL-2)- and IL-4-induced murine lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity was investigated in this study. Peritoneal macrophages significantly enhanced LAK activity generated from accessory cell-depleted splenic lymphocytes in both IL-2 and IL-4 cultures. This effect was dependent on the number of macrophages and was not replaced by a factor derived from macrophages or lymphocytes. Macrophages enhanced IL-2- and IL-4-induced LAK activity against both natural killer (NK)-sensitive (YAC-I, P388D1) and NK-resistant (P815) tumor cells. Negative selection of cells with antibodies and complement showed no differences in surface markers between IL-2 LAK effectors and IL-4 LAK effectors generated in the presence of macrophages. These results suggest that the same LAK effector subsets can be enhanced by macrophages in either IL-2 or IL-4 cultures.