We have studied the effect of methotrexate in murine acute graft vs host (GvH) disease at concentrations analogous to those used in human rheumatoid arthritis. The GvH reaction was induced by i.v. injection of parental spleen cells into a normal F1 recipient. The acute suppression of T cell function in GvH mice was prevented by methotrexate given orally for 10 days at 1.0 or 0.5 mg/kg but not at 0.25 mg/kg. T cell mitogen response and IL-2 secretion that were inhibited in GvH mice were restored by methotrexate. Protection from immunosuppression in drug-treated GvH mice lasted at least 3 wk after drug dosing was stopped. The mechanism of the protective effect appears to be a preferential inhibition of donor and host Lyt-2+ Ts cell proliferation. In mixing experiments we found that methotrexate inhibited Ts function in GvH mice. By dual fluorescence labeling we showed that the engraftment of donor Lyt-2+ cells was prevented by drug treatment. This was not true of donor L3T4+ cells which were clearly present in the spleens of GvH mice after methotrexate treatment. These donor L3T4 cells were functional in that they induced the production of anti-DNA autoantibodies in the methotrexate-treated GvH mice.