Aminopyrine oxidation was studied in isolated hepatocytes prepared from 24-h-starved mice (i) after induction of the NADPH-generating malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, but not the mixed function oxygenases by fructose, (ii) after induction of both mixed function oxygenases and NADPH-generating malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by phenobarbital and (iii) without any pretreatment. Phenobarbital pretreatment, as expected, increased the rate of aminopyrine oxidation of isolated hepatocytes. However, fructose pretreatment also enhanced the rate of N-demethylation of aminopyrine by more than 100% supporting the view that the availability of NADPH is rate limiting in drug oxidation under certain conditions. The role of malic enzyme and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the NADPH supply for aminopyrine oxidation was investigated by the addition of two groups of gluconeogenic precursors: lactate or alanine and glycerol or fructose with the simultaneous measurement of glucose synthesis and aminopyrine N-demethylation. There was a clear correlation between the increased rate of aminopyrine oxidation and the decreases of glucose production caused by aminopyrine. Gluconeogenesis in the presence of 1 mM aminopyrine was decreased by 70-80% when alanine or lactate were used as precursors, it was decreased by only 35-40% when glucose production was started from glycerol or fructose; in an accordance with the facts that NADPH generation and gluconeogenesis starting from alanine or lactate share two common intermediates--malate and glucose-6 phosphate--, while there is only one common intermediate--glucose-6 phosphate--if fructose or glycerol are used. Similar results were obtained with the addition of the structurally dissimilar hexobarbital. It is concluded that besides malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase also takes part in NADPH supply for drug oxidation in glycogen-depleted hepatocytes.