Apoptosis is a pattern of cell death involving nuclear pyknosis, cytoplasmic condensation, and karyorrhexis. The frequency of apoptosis after treatment with two colon carcinogens and radiation was studied in the crypts of five different portions of mouse bowel. When 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was injected s.c., the earliest rise in apoptotic incidence after a high dose (200 mg/kg) was noted at 3 h in small intestine and at 6 h in large bowel. After i.p. administration of methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate, apoptotic cells were seen in large bowel after 3 h. When the plateau values attained after high doses of DMH were compared, many apoptotic cells were found in the lower part of the large bowel, whereas few such cells were observed in the small intestine and the upper part of the large bowel. This finding was reversed in the case of radiation-induced apoptosis. In the descending colon, a definite circadian rhythm in the apoptotic incidence was observed 6 h after injection of DMH or MAM acetate. Apoptosis showed a high incidence when these drugs were given between 2400 h and 0900 h, but a low incidence after administration between 1200 h and 2100 h. In the small intestine a rhythm was also noted for MAM acetate, but not significantly for DMH.