We examined the effect of ligation of human eosinophils activated by platelet-activating factor (PAF) to soluble human fibronectin (FN) on the augmented contractile response of human bronchial explants. Styrene microplate wells were FN-coated and eosinophils were allowed to adhere in the presence of 1) buffer control, 2) 20 micrograms/ml monoclonal antibody (HP2/1) to the alpha 4 beta 1 ligand (VLA-4) on the eosinophils, 3) 20 micrograms/ml anti-CD18 R15.7, 4) 20 micrograms/ml anti-CD16 3G8, or 5) 10(-6) M A63162, a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. Sixty minutes later, treated cells were activated with either buffer or 10(-6) M PAF. Airway luminal diameter was assessed by computerized videomicrometry as a function of pixel number, and activation of eosinophils was confirmed by measurement of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) secretion. Ligation with FN caused an increase in PAF-stimulated LTC4 secretion from 276 +/- 75.6 pg/10(6) cell at baseline to 606 +/- 90.2 pg/10(6) cell (P < 0.01). This corresponded to augmented luminal narrowing of human bronchial explants from 25.3 +/- 9.39% (PAF activation alone) to 42.9 +/- 8.0% (PAF-activated eosinophils + FN) (P < 0.01). Both augmented airway luminal narrowing and increased LTC4 secretion caused by PAF-activated cells after FN ligation were blocked completely by anti-VLA-4 MAb (P < 0.05 vs. control). Pretreatment with 10(-6) MA63162 inhibited completely the PAF-stimulated LTC4 secretion to baseline level ( P < 0.001). Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase similarly blocked luminal narrowing caused by eosinophils stimulated by PAF by > 95% (P < 0.001). We demonstrate that the binding of human eosinophils to the matrix protein FN causes augmented secretion of LTC4 which, in turn, causes augmented luminal narrowing of explanted human bronchi in vitro. We also demonstrate that the augmented activity is blocked selectively by pretreatment with specific monoclonal antibody against VLA-4 and blockade of eosinophil 5-lipoxygenase inhibits both LTC4 secretion and airway narrowing after PAF-stimulation.