The responses of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) (EC 1.1.1.49) and malic enzyme (ME) (EC 1.1.1.40) were studied in liver and adipose tissue of rats fed for 2 days a high glucose diet containing levels of synthetic trilinolein ranging from 0 to 25% (w/w) of the diet (trilinolein was substituted for glucose). One group of rats was starved for 2 days before the trilinolein-containing diets were fed (starved-refed); a second group of rats was fed a fat-free diet for 7 days before the trilinolein-containing diets were fed (ad libitum). Liver G6PD activity decreased exponentially and liver ME activity decreased linearly with increasing dietary trilinolein in starved-refed rats, but did not decrease significantly in ad libitum fed rats. Total liver lipid decreased exponentially with increasing trilinolein in starved-refed rats, but increased exponentially in ad libitum fed rats. Adipose tissue G6PD and ME activities decreased slightly with increasing trilinolein in starved-refed rats, but did not decrease in ad libitum fed rats. When the data were adjusted by analysis of covariance for differences in glucose intake, the liver responses in starved-refed rats were still significant but the adipose tissue responses were not, indicating that the responses of adipose tissue (but not of liver) may have resulted from decreased glucose intake rather than from increased trilinolein intake. The results suggest that dietary trilinolein inhibits the characteristic increase in liver G6PD, ME and total lipids upon starvation-refeeding. However, after the levels of these parameters have been increased by feeding a fat-free diet they cannot be decreased by dietary trilinolein in 2 days.