The present work concerns the luteolytic effects of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha and its analogue, 16-aryloxy PGF2 alpha, upon isolated luteal cells. Varying doses of these two prostaglandins were incubated with cells in the presence or absence of an optimum stimulatory dose of LH (1 microgram/ml). The total contents of progesterone and 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone in flasks were determined after the incubation periods by radioimmunoassay. Both prostaglandins inhibited basal synthesis of progesterone and 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone, maximum inhibition occurring at concentrations of either PG of between 250 and 500 ng/ml. In this dose range both prostaglandins were found to abolish LH-stimulated progestogen synthesis completely. These effects were discernible within 5 min of incubation. The studies demonstrated that the onset of PG-induced luteolysis in vitro is characterized by an inhibition of the biosynthesis of both progesterone and its weakly progestogenic metabolite, 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone; induction of 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity by either PG was not found in incubations extending up to 60 min. In contrast to their relative potencies in vivo, PGF2 alpha and 16-aryloxy PGF2 alpha were essentially equipotent in this in-vitro system.