The implication of oxidative damage and/or intact mitochondrial function in physiological Fas-based cytotoxicity has been tested using the cytolytic hybridoma d11S and the CD8(+) CTL clone KB5.C20, previously stimulated to express Fas ligand (Fast) on their surface, as effecters and U937 or U937-p(0) cells (depleted of mitochondrial DNA) as targets. Immobilized anti-Fas mAb, which induced death of U937 cells, inhibited the growth of U937-p(0) cells but without inducing cell death. By contrast, Fast-expressing effecters readily killed both targets, with induction of DNA fragmentation, in 20 h assays. These results demonstrate the lack of involvement of mitochondrial-derived free radicals and/or intact mitochondrial function in physiological Fas-based cytotoxicity. Supplementation of Fas-sensitive cells (Jurkat, U937, L1210Fas) with a polyunsaturated fatty acid, which induces cell death through the generation of lipid free radicals, resulted in the potentiation of Fas-based cytotoxicity. This potentiating effect, but not Fas-based cytotoxicity itself, was eliminated by the physiological antioxidant vitamin E. On the other hand, the IL-lp-converting enzyme (ICE)-like protease tetrapeptide inhibitor Ac-YVAD-cmk partially inhibited Fas-based cytotoxicity, while the specific inhibitor of CPP32/Yama Ac-DEVD-CHO was a much more effective inhibitor of Fas-induced apoptosis. It was concluded that Fas-induced cytotoxicity was clearly dependent on ICE-like protease activation, and especially on that of CPP32 in Fas-sensitive cells, including mitochondrial DNA-depleted ones.