The objective of this study was to determine whether substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), at physiologically relevant concentrations, affect leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion. Confluent monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were incubated (40 min) with freshly isolated human neutrophils in the presence or absence of substance P or CGRP (10(-11) M). Both substance P and CGRP caused a significant increase (2-fold) in neutrophil adherence to HUVEC. Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) directed against the leukocyte adhesion glycoproteins CD11/CD18 (MAb IB4) and L-selectin (MAb DREG56) did not attenuate substance P-induced adhesion. Antibodies directed against the endothelial cell adhesion molecules E-selectin (MAb CL2) and ICAM-1 (MAb R6.5) were also without effect on substance P-induced neutrophil adhesion. Similar results were obtained when either MAb IB4, DREG56, CL2, or R6.5 was coincubated with CGRP-stimulated neutrophils and endothelial cells. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-stimulated neutrophil adherence was significantly attenuated by MAb IB4, indicating that CD11/CD18 participates in this adhesion process. The results of this study indicate that 1) the neuropeptides substance P and CGRP promote neutrophil adherence to venular endothelium and 2) the neuropeptide-induced adhesion is not mediated by the adhesion molecules CD11/CD18, L-selectin, E-selectin, or ICAM-1.