Nitric oxide (NO) has diverse effects on immune responses and hepatic functions. In BNL CL.2 cells, the murine embryonic liver cells, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression appeared after 3 h of treatment with IFN-gamma and LPS. Interestingly, mRNA and protein expression of iNOS was down-regulated by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and diethylamine dinitric oxide in a time- and dose-dependent manner, but not by H2O2. TNF-alpha gene expression was also dramatically reduced by SNP, but IL-6 gene expression was inhibited much less. IFN-gamma and LPS-induced chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity of iNOS promoter constructs was inhibited by SNP. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that SNP inhibited IFN-gamma plus LPS-induced Oct-1 binding activity, and the inhibition was reversed by DTT. Mutation in the Oct-1 site completely abolished iNOS promoter activity. In addition, supershift assay and Southwestern analysis demonstrated that the Oct-1 binding activity was inhibited by SNP. Taken together, these results indicate that NO suppresses IFN-gamma plus LPS-induced iNOS expression, and that Oct-1 is an important element in this process.