Whole homogenates prepared from tissue previously exposed to epinephrine displayed a 3-fold increased rate of lipolysis of endogenous substrate. When the aqueous infranatant phase of such homogenates was collected by centrifugation and assayed against exogenous triolein emulsions, no hormone effect could be demonstrated. Treatment of such infranatants with cAMP-dependent protein kinase prepared from muscle increased their lipase activity against exogenous triolein by 80%. Employing [3H]triolein emulsions as exogenous substrate, rates of lipolysis of both endogenous and exogenous glycerides were measured simultaneously in whole tissue homogenates. Prior treatment of the tissue with epinephrine increased the rate of lipolysis of endogenous glycerides an average of 3-fold but had no effect on the hydrolysis of exogenous triolein. By contrast, treatment of whole homogenates with protein kinase accelerated lipolysis of exogenous triolein without altering the rate of hydrolysis of endogenous glycerides. The data suggest that a second pathway of lipolysis activation occurs in response to epinephrine in addition to that involving a cAMP-mediated increase in the state of phosphorylation of the hormone-sensitive lipase.