Previous reports have attributed a stimulating action on hepatic gluconeogenesis to tumour necrosis factor a (TNFa) administered to rats at high doses (250 mg/kg). However, in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats, which present TNFa and other interleukins in the circulation, hepatic gluconeogenesis is diminished. The same occurs in some types of experimental cancer models as, for example, rats bearing the Walker-256 tumour. The present work represents an attempt of reproducing in rats gluconeogenesis inhibition by interleukins using low instead of high doses of both TNFa and interleukin 1b (IL1b). TNFa and IL1b at doses of up to 10 mg/kg were given endovenously to rats and, after six hours, gluconeogenesis from alanine and several related parameters were evaluated in the isolated haemoglobin-free perfused rat liver. Livers from rats injected with TNFa and IL1b, either alone or in combination, presented diminished gluconeogenesis. The degrees of inhibition caused by TNFaπIL1b, TNFa and IL1b were, respectively, 48.5, 38.8 and 30.4%. TNFa also diminished oxygen uptake. No action on urea and ammonia production was found. Possibly, both TNFa and IL1b contribute to the decreased rates of hepatic gluconeogenesis that were found in rats with arthritis, sepsis and some kinds of cancer, but not to the decreased rates of ureagenesis.