Ozone is known to produce an acute influx of neutrophils, and alveolar epithelial cells can secrete chemokines and modulate inflammatory processes. However, direct exposure of alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages to ozone (O(3)) produces little chemokine response. To determine if cell-cell interactions might be responsible, we investigated the effect of alveolar macrophage-conditioned media after ozone exposure (MO(3)CM) on alveolar epithelial cell chemokine production. Serum-free media were conditioned by exposing a rat alveolar macrophage cell line NR8383 to ozone for 1 hour. Ozone stimulated secretion of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-18 from NR8383 cells, but there was no secretion of chemokines or TNF-alpha. Freshly isolated type II cells were cultured, so as to express the biological markers of type I cells, and these cells are referred to as type I-like cells. Type I-like cells were exposed to diluted MO(3)CM for 24 hours, and this conditioned medium stimulated secretion of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemattractant-1 (CXCL1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2). Secretion of these chemokines was inhibited by the IL-1 receptor antagonist. Although both recombinant IL-1alpha and IL-1beta stimulated alveolar epithelial cells to secrete chemokines, recombinant IL-1alpha was 100-fold more potent than IL-1beta. Furthermore, neutralizing anti-rat IL-1alpha antibodies inhibited the secretion of chemokines by alveolar epithelial cells, whereas neutralizing anti-rat IL-1beta antibodies had no effect. These observations indicate that secretion of IL-1alpha from macrophages stimulates alveolar epithelial cells to secrete chemokines that can elicit an inflammatory response.