['Expression of CINCs was regulated differentially in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages. We examined whether the expression of CINCs in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages is similarly inhibited by anti-inflammatory drugs.', 'Rat peritoneal macrophages were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in the presence of anti-inflammatory steroids (dexamethasone, prednisolone and hydrocortisone) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin and piroxicam). The production and mRNA expression of three types of CINCs were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and northern hybridization.', 'Anti-inflammatory steroids; dexamethasone, prednisolone and hydrocortisone, dose-dependently inhibited the production of CINC-1, -2 and -3, whose inhibitory patterns were similar to each other. Furthermore mRNA expression of each CINC was inhibited by dexamethasone in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, indomethacin and piroxicam were without effect. Expression of each CINC was regulated differently; the production of CINC-1 reached a maximum at 12 h and then slightly decreased after lipopolysaccharide stimulation, whereas that of CINC-2 and CINC-3 increased up to 24 h. Dexamethasone inhibited the CINCs production and mRNA expression at 9 h after lipopolysaccharide stimulation.'] Is the expression of three types of CINCs by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages inhibited similarly by anti-inflammatory steroids?