The effects of hydrocortisone on the respiratory burst oxidase (NADPH oxidase, EC 1.6.99.6) from human neutrophils in both whole-cell and full soluble (cell-free) systems were investigated. In the whole-cell system, hydrocortisone inhibited the generation of superoxide by neutrophils exposed to phorbol myristate acetate, suggesting that steroids inhibit the bactericidal capacity of the body in an acute inflammatory phase. Hydrocortisone, which was added to the cuvette after the addition of NADPH and before the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate, in a cell-free system, was found to inhibit the activation of superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase by sodium dodecyl sulfate. The concentration of hydrocortisone required for 50% inhibition of oxidase was 40 microM. Its inhibition was dose- and time-dependent in the cell-free system. However, hydrocortisone did not alter the Km of the oxidase for NADPH. These results suggest that steroids inhibit the reconstitution of NADPH oxidase by sodium dodecyl sulfate in the cell-free system, and that they do not alter the affinity to NADPH of the oxidase.