3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), a rat renal and testicular carcinogen, has been reported to occur in various foods and food ingredients as free or esterified forms. Since reports about toxicity of 3-MCPD esters are limited, we conducted a 13-week rat subchronic toxicity study of 3-MCPD esters (palmitate diester: CDP, palmitate monoester: CMP, oleate diester: CDO). We administered a carcinogenic dose (3.6 × 10(-4) mol/kg B.W./day) of 3-MCPD or these esters at equimolar concentrations and two 1/4 lower doses by gavage with olive oil as a vehicle five times a week for 13 weeks to F344 male and female rats. As a result, five out of ten 3-MCPD-treated females died from acute renal tubular necrosis, but none of the ester-treated rats. Decreased HGB was observed in all high-dose 3-MCPD fatty acid ester-treated rats, except CDO-treated males. The absolute and relative kidney weights were significantly increased in the ester-treated rats at medium and high doses. Relative liver weights were significantly increased in the esters-treated rat at high dose, except for CMP females. Significant increase in apoptotic epithelial cells in the initial segment of the epididymis of high-dose ester-treated males was also observed. The results suggested that although acute renal toxicity was lower than 3-MCPD, these three 3-MCPD fatty acid esters have the potential to exert subchronic toxicity to the rat kidneys and epididymis, to a similar degree as 3-MCPD under the present conditions. NOAELs (no-observed-adverse-effect levels) of CDP, CMP and CDO were suggested to be 14, 8 and 15 mg/kg B.W./day, respectively.