To investigate the possibility that human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) elaborate sufficient amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and other radicals of reduced oxygen to be autotoxic and retard directed cell movement and phagocytosis, the rate of ingestion of opsonized lipopolysaccharide-paraffin oil particles and movement through Nuclepore filters were studied. Ingestion rates were increased under anaerobic conditions and in normal aerobic conditions in the presence of extracellular catalase but not superoxide dismutase (SOD) or scavengers of singlet oxygen or hydroxyl radicals. Conversely, ingestion rates were decreased when cells were exposed to H2O2 or a superoxide anion (O2-)-H2O2 generating system of xanthine-xanthine oxidase. Catalase, but not SOD, prevented the effect and also enhanced the directed movement of PMN in normal aerobic conditions. PMN from volunteers administered 1600 U/day of the membrane lipid antioxidant alpha-tocopherol were hyperphagocytic but killed Staphylococcus aureus 502A less effectively than controls, suggesting that less H2O2 was available to damage PMN or kill bacteria. H2O2-dependent stimulation of the hexose monophosphate shunt, H2O2 release from phaogytizing PMN, and fluoresceinated concanavalin A cap formation promoted by H2O2 damage to microtubules were all diminished, but the release of O2- from phagocytizing PMN was not diminished in the vitamin E group. These results support the hypothesis that directed movement and phagocytosis by PMN are attenuated by autooxidative damage to the cell membrane by endogenously derived H2O2 and that the administration in vivo of vitamin E may prevent this damage by scavenging H2O2.