Prolactin (PRL) stimulates an increased rate of incorporation of [14C]acetate and [3H]glucose into lipids in cultured mammary gland explants from 10- to 14-day-pregnant mice. This response is biphasic with an early increase occurring from 6 through 12 h, and an additional increase from 16 through 24 h. Enzymes likely to be rate limiting to this process include acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthetase, acetyl CoA synthetase, and/or pyruvate dehydrogenase. Of these enzymes only pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was elevated at 6 h, suggesting that this enzymatic activity is important in stimulating early increases in lipogenesis after PRL treatment. In addition, the PRL stimulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase may also indirectly stimulate acetyl CoA carboxylase through the generation of citrate; this may explain the early (6-12 h) effect of PRL on [14C]acetate incorporation. After 16 h of PRL treatment, the activities of all the lipogenic enzymes were enhanced. The second phase of PRLs stimulation of lipogenesis thus likely involves the enhanced activities of more than one of the lipogenic enzymes.