Effects of various dietary fats on the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase and sterol and fatty acid synthesis from [1-14C]acetate and [2-14C]mevalonate were examined in the liver from fasted-refed rats. Rats fasted for 2 days were refed a fat-free diet or diets containing various fats (tricaprylin, trilaurin, trimyristin, tristearin, camellia oil, or safflower oil) at the 10% level for 1, 3, or 7 days. The activity of HMG-CoA reductase was restored to about one-half of the pre-fasting levels in all groups after refeeding for 1 day and increased to above the pre-fasting levels after 3 days, with the exception of safflower oil, the rise was especially noticeable when fat-free, tricaprylin, and tristearin diets were fed. After 7 days, the activity of HMG-CoA reductase, except for rats refed tristearin, was decreased to levels that were far below those observed after 1 day-refeeding. This was particularly marked with tricaprylin, trilaurin, and camellia oil. The response of sterogenesis resembled that of the reductase. Dietary fat-dependent modification of fatty acid synthesis from [1-14C]acetate was first demonstrated after 7 days. Hepatic esterified cholesterol tended to accumulate and the deposition was marked after 3 days of refeeding. However, fat-dependent alterations of this parameter were remarkable on day 7. The concentration of plasma cholesterol also showed dietary fat-dependent changes after refeeding. Dietary fats appear to play an important role not only in the regulation of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase and sterol synthesis, but also in the overall processes of cholesterol dynamics.