Complement fragment-induced sequestration of neutrophils within the lungs may be mediated by stimulus-induced decreases in the deformability of neutrophils, prolonging their lung capillary transit times. As changes in deformability often occur through changes in cytoskeletal proteins, this study determined whether the distribution of actin within intracapillary neutrophils was altered by intravascular complement fragments and whether sequestered neutrophils were less deformed. Ultrathin cryosections of lung tissue from rabbits given an infusion of complement fragments or saline were immunolabeled with anti-actin antibodies. The number of gold particles/microvillus and the density of gold particles/microgram 2 cytoplasm in the submembrane and the central region of intracapillary neutrophils was quantitated. Neutrophil shape was evaluated using laser confocal microscopy. In control rabbits, the ratio of submembrane/central gold was always greater than one and most neutrophils were elongated, 97% having shape factors > 1.10. The ratio of submembrane/central gold was greater in complement-treated rabbits (5.1 +/- 0.9) than controls (2.6 +/- 0.4; P < 0.026). The number of gold particles/microvillus was also increased in complement-treated rabbits (3.9 +/- 0.5) compared with controls (2.3 +/- 0.5; P < 0.045). Neutrophils were more often spherical when rabbits received complement fragments for 1.5 minutes than in control lungs or after 15-minute infusions. These data suggest that complement fragments induce a rapid redistribution of actin from the central to the submembrane region and the microvilli and result in more round neutrophils. This redistribution may decrease the deformability of neutrophils by altering the stiffness of the submembrane region and/or by preventing the microvilli from flattening.