The biliary and urinary excretion of ibuprofen and its metabolites were determined in rats after intravenous and peroral administration of 25 and 100 mg/kg of the drug. Within 24 hours 48% of the low i.v. dose and 59% of the high i.v. dose were eliminated via bile as ibuprofen and its metabolites. Following oral administration 40 to 41% of the dose were recovered in bile, whereas 16 to 32% of the dose were eliminated in urine, resulting in an overall drug recovery of 66 to 79% within 24 hours. Upon infusion of bile containing ibuprofen and its metabolites into the duodenum substantial enterohepatic cycling of the drug occurred in the rat.