Using specific antisera for IL-1 beta and IL-8, as well as cyclooxygenase inhibitors and propranolol, we have demonstrated that these cytokines are responsible for the prostaglandin and sympathetic components of carrageenin-induced hyperalgesia in the rat paw test. The release of IL-1 beta and IL-8 is preceded by the liberation of TNF-alpha. We have also tested in a nociceptive model the effects of bradykinin and a specific bradykinin antagonist, HOE 140, on the hyperalgesia induced by carrageenin and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Bradykinin-induced hyperalgesia was abolished by HOE 140 and by treatment of the paws with anti-TNF-alpha antisera. HOE 140 significantly inhibited the hyperalgesia induced by carrageenin and LPS. It is suggested that in these two models bradykinin is associated with the release of hyperalgesic cytokines.