We examined targeted delivery of an anticancer drug, aclarubicin (ACR), to the lymphatic system in rats by encapsulation of the drug in microsphere (MS) prepared from nontoxic and biodegradable L-lactic acid-oligomer with an average molecular weight (Mw) of 3600. ACR was released at an almost constant rate from two kinds of ACR-MSs having different size (1-5 microns and less than 1 micron) over 20 d in phosphate-buffered saline at 37 degrees C. The intraperitoneal administration of both ACR-MSs (dose of ACR; 5 mg/kg) to rats sustained an almost constant ACR level (300-400 and 400-600 ng/ml) in the lymph of the thoracic duct during over 10 d, and the ACR level in the blood was extremely low, although intraperitoneal injection of ACR alone gave lower level of ACR in the lymph than in the blood level within 12 h.