Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb) infection of mice induces IL-4 producing CD4+ T cells which stimulate polyclonal IgE and IgG1 production, providing a model system to study IL-4 action on B cells in vivo. B cell Ia expression and the proportion of IL-2R beta positive B cells were increased in Nb-inoculated mice, and B cells from these mice responded to IL-2 by prompt and marked cell growth. Injection of anti-IL-4 1 day after Nb inoculation substantially inhibited these responses, indicating that they were largely IL-4 dependent. Thus IL-4 acted as a polyclonal B cell activator in vivo and caused B cells to develop into IL-2 responsive cells. Furthermore, injection of IL-2 inhibited IgG1 and IgE production by Nb-inoculated mice. To understand the mechanism of this IL-2-mediated inhibition, we used an in vitro IgG1 and IgE induction system. B cells from Nb-inoculated mice displayed an increase in the capacity of IL-2 to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus IL-4-driven IgE and IgG1 production, indicating that B cells expressing IL-2R beta are highly sensitive to IL-2. This inhibition was principally dependent upon the direct action of IL-2 on B cells. However, partial abolition of IL-2 inhibitory action by anti-IFN-gamma treatment suggested that endogenous IFN-gamma released from IL-2-stimulated cells was also involved in this IL-2-mediated IgE and IgG1 inhibition. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that IL-2 inhibited IL-4 induction of germline and productive C epsilon transcripts in LPS-stimulated B cells. Digestion-circularization polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed IL-2 inhibited IL-4 induction of s mu-s gamma 1 rearrangement in LPS-stimulated B cells.