kinetics of [ 3 H]palmitate and its low-molecular-weight metabolites in perfused rat livers were studied using the multiple-indicator dilution technique, a selective assay for [ 3 H]palmitate and its low-molecular-weight metabolites, and several physiologically based pharmacokinetic models. The level of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), other intrahepatic binding proteins (microsomal protein, albumin, and glutathione S-transferase) and the outflow profiles of [ 3 H]palmitate and metabolites were measured in four experimental groups of rats: 1) males; 2) clofibrate-treated males; 3) females; and 4) pregnant females. A slow-diffusion/bound model was found to better describe the hepatic disposition of unchanged [3 H]palmitate than other pharmacokinetic models. The L-FABP levels followed the order: pregnant female ÏŸ clofibrate-treated male ÏŸ female ÏŸ male. Levels of other intrahepatic proteins did not differ significantly. The hepatic extraction ratio and mean transit time for unchanged palmitate, as well as the production of low-molecular-weight metabolites of palmitate and their retention in the liver, increased with increasing L-FABP levels. Palmitate metabolic clearance, permeability-surface area product, retention of palmitate by the liver, and cytoplasmic diffusion constant for unchanged [3 H]palmitate also increased with increasing L-FABP levels. It is concluded that the variability in hepatic pharmacokinetics of unchanged [ 3 H]palmitate and its lowmolecular-weight metabolites in perfused rat livers is related to levels of L-FABP and not those of other intrahepatic proteins.clofibrate; pregnancy; multiple indicator dilution; hepatic extraction ratio; cytoplasmic diffusion constant NONESTERIFIED, LONG-CHAIN fatty acids (hereafter referred to as fatty acids) play a vital role in many cellular processes. They are an important source for cellular energy and form the building blocks from which various cellular components are synthesized. Some fatty acids are precursors for biological mediators, whereas others may interact with the cell membrane to regulate various cellular functions. Uptake of fatty acids has been shown to parallel the level of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) (22).L-FABP levels are known to be gender dependent, with females showing higher levels than males (25). L-FABP is also altered in various conditions, such as pregnancy and clofibrate treatment (6,26,31). Although the variation in the content of various intrahepatic proteins in liver disease has been used to account for the uptake, binding, and metabolism of solutes (20), the influence of intrahepatic proteins other than L-FABP [e.g., microsomal protein (MP), cytochrome P-450 (CYP), albumin (Alb), and glutathione S-transferase (GST)] on the hepatic disposition of [ 3 H]palmitate has been studied to a limited extent. Most studies investigating the fatty acid uptake into the liver have used isolated hepatocytes with some studies using intact livers (26,38).In this work, we examined the relationship between the hepatic pharma...