It is well known that bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulates the prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in various experimental system, but the mechanism and the detailed nature of its action are yet to be understood. Thus, this study was designed to characterize LPS induced PG synthesis in rat alveolar macrophage. Although results were not so much prominent, LPS stimulated PGE2 synthesis in macrophage with short term exposure, and this was thought to be mainly due to the activation of phopholipase A2+ But there was a burst in the PG synthesis 6 hours after the LPS treatment and this was accompanied with the increase of cyclooxygenase activity. This effect was not mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or platelet activating factor (PAF), and the existence of serum was prerequisite for its action. Growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) themselves did not stimulate PG synthesis and the showed stimulatory activities to some extent. Normal rat serum was more effective for the elicitation of the LPS action than growth factors. Thus, considering the amounts of growth fafctors contained in normal serum, it was suggested that another factors like LPS binding protein (LBP) might be involved in the serum effect on LPS action. Conclusively. it was thought that LPS could stimulate PG synthesis through interaction with serum factors such as EGF, PDGF and/or LBP.