Recombinant human tumour necrosis factor-alpha suppresses synthesis, activity and secretion of lipoprotein lipase in cultures of a human osteosarcoma cell line. The effect of recombinant human tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on synthesis, activity and secretion of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was examined using a human osteosarcoma cell line, osteosarcoma Takase (OST). Treatment of OST cells with TNF-alpha decreased LPL synthesis, resulting in a decrease in expression of activity and secretion of LPL. When OST cells were incubated with glycerol tri[1-14C]palmitate, TNF-alpha decreased dose- and time-dependently the production of 14CO2 and the amounts of radioactivity incorporated into cellular triacylglycerol and phospholipid. The similar reduction of synthesis and activity of LPL as suppression of CO2 production and cellular lipid synthesis indicated that the suppression of 14CO2 production and 14C-labelled lipid synthesis was secondary. TNF-alpha also suppressed expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, indicating that it had an anti-proliferative activity on OST cells. The findings suggest that one cause of the anti-proliferative activity of TNF-alpha is the suppression of the LPL-mediated supply of non-esterified fatty acids as an energy source for growth.