The active ingredient in the tumor-promoting croton oil, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), was shown to increase the activity of mouse skin epidermal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (+84%), hexokinase (+100%), phosphofructokinase (+158%), and pyruvate kinase (+101%). This increase in activity of these key enzymes of glucose metabolism occurred 2-8 h after TPA application and was due to a net increase in the enzyme content. This increase in the activity of the glycolytic enzymes, as well as the reported TPA-induced increase in the synthesis of RNA and DNA and cell proliferation, suggest that activation of the glycolytic pathway may be involved in the carcinogenic effects of tumor promoters.