4-Hydroxynonenal is a major product formed by lipid peroxidation from omega 6-polyunsaturated fatty acids as linoleic acid and arachidonic acid. This aldehyde is cytotoxic at high concentrations (in the range of 100 microM), disturbs cell proliferation at low concentrations and exhibits genotoxic effects. Furthermore, in the submicromolar range 4-hydroxynonenal is chemotactic and stimulates phospholipase C. 4-Hydroxynonenal is rapidly metabolized in eucaryotic cells. Here the metabolism of 4-hydroxynonenal was studied in suspensions of Ehrlich mouse ascites cells at different periods of the tumor age. The Ehrlich ascites tumor is a convenient biological model for the investigation of tumor cells in different age and proliferation phases of the tumor. The main products of 4-hydroxynonenal which were identified in the Ehrlich ascites cells were glutathione-HNE-conjugate, hydroxynonenoic acid and 1,4-dihydroxynonene. The formation of glutathione conjugates following the addition of 4-hydroxynonenal was higher in cells of the early phase in comparison with cells of the late phase of tumor growth. That was in accordance with the increased consumption of the reduced form of glutathione during 4-hydroxynonenal utilization. The degradation of 4-hydroxynonenal and other aldehydic products of lipid peroxidation is postulated to be an important part of the intracellular antioxidative defense system.