Monolayers of cultured endothelial cells exposed to hypoxia-reoxygenation exhibit a transcription-dependent increase in E-selectin expression and E-selectin-dependent neutrophil-endothelial cell adhesion. The overall objectives of this study were 1) to determine whether ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) promotes upregulation of E-selectin in vivo; 2) if so, to define the mediators of this response; and 3) to assess the contribution of E-selectin to I/R-induced neutrophil recruitment. The dual-radiolabeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) technique was used to measure E-selectin expression in the intestinal vasculature. Ischemia was induced by complete occlusion (30-60 min) of the superior mesenteric artery followed by 3-24 h of reperfusion. Increasing durations of ischemia elicited progressively increasing (2- to 5-fold) levels of E-selectin expression, with the peak response noted after 45 min of ischemia and 5 h of reperfusion. Subsequent experiments revealed that I/R-induced increase in E-selectin expression (at 5 h) is significantly blunted in transgenic mice that overexpress Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase or by treatment of wild-type mice with either a blocking antibody against tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or an inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation (PS341). Administration of an E-selectin-specific MAb dramatically reduced I/R-induced recruitment of neutrophils in the intestine. These findings suggest that superoxide and TNF-alpha mediate gut I/R-induced E-selectin expression via an NF-kappaB-dependent mechanism; this upregulation of E-selectin contributes significantly to I/R-induced neutrophil recruitment.