Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1; CXCL12), a CXC chemokine, has been found to be involved in inflammation models in vivo and in cell adhesion, migration and chemotaxis in vitro. This study aimed to determine whether exogenous SDF-1 induces leukocyte recruitment in mice. After a systemic administration of SDF-1, the expression of adhesion molecules P-selectin and VCAM-1 in mice was measured using a quantitative dual-radiolabeled Ab assay, and leukocyte recruitment in various tissues was evaluated using intravital microscopy. The effect of local SDF-1 on leukocyte recruitment was also determined in cremaster muscle and compared with that of cytokine TNF and CXC chemokine keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC; CXCL1). Systemic administration of SDF-1 (10 µg, 4 to 5 h) induced the upregulation of P-selectin but not VCAM-1 in most tissues in mice. It caused modest leukocyte recruitment responses in microvasculature of cremaster muscle, intestine and brain, i.e., an increase in flux of rolling leukocytes in cremaster muscle and intestines, leukocyte adhesion in all three tissues and emigration in cremaster muscle. Local treatment of SDF-1 (1 µg, 4 to 5 h) reduced leukocyte rolling velocity and increased leukocyte adhesion and emigration in cremasteric venules, but the responses were much less profound than those elicited by KC or TNF. SDF-1-induced recruitment was dependent on endothelial P-selectin but not P-selectin on platelets. We conclude that the exogenous SDF-1 enhances leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and induces modest and endothelial P-selectin-dependent leukocyte recruitment.