Food intake, plasma glucose, insulin (I) and triiodothyronine (T3) and liver glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH), malic enzyme (ME). ATP-citrate lyase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (AcCoACx) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) activities were measured in 2 and 22 months old rats before, after 3 d starvation and 2,4,6. 24 and 48 h refeeding a high carbohydrate (74% w/w) diet. Expressed per 100 g of body weight, the carbohydrate intake of old rats was 55% lower than that of young rats. Plasma insulin was higher in old than in young rats and decreased (-40%) after starvation and returned to control values 4 h after refeeding. In young rats plasma insulin fell after starvation (-85%) and returned to normal values 2 h after refeeding. No significant differences were observed in plasma [T3] between the two groups. During the first 6 h of refeeding, plasma glucose increased 2-fold and returned to control values after 24 h in young rats. In old rats, plasma glucose returned to its control value after 2 h. Compared to the starved level, 48 h after refeeding, G6P-DH, ME, ATP-citrate lyase, AcCoACx and FAS activities increased 5- to 6-fold in young rats, while in old rats the increase was much smaller and represented 35% of that observed in young rats. These results suggest, that the age-related reduction in inducibility of hepatic lipogenic enzymes of rats refed a high carbohydrate diet after starvation may be due to a spontaneous decrease in the carbohydrate intake and to a decrease effectiveness of insulin (insulin resistance).