This study examined the hypolipidemic effect of 4 weeks of L-carnitine treatment (170 mg/kg b.w./day) in New Zealand White rabbits fed a high fat diet (5% corn oil/0.5% cholesterol). Specifically, [3H] glycerol and [125I] very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) turnover studies were conducted to examine the effect of treatment on VLDL kinetics. The masses of plasma VLDL-triglycerides (VLDL-TG) and VLDL-apoprotein B (VLDL-apoB) were significantly increased by the high-fat diet. Four weeks of treatment with L-carnitine significantly reduced these masses. Kinetic analysis indicated that fat feeding reduced the fractional catabolic rates (FCRs) of VLDL-TG and VLDL-apoB relative to chow-fed controls. The transport of these VLDL components was not altered by the diet. L-carnitine treatment had no effect on the FCRs of VLDL-TG and VLDL-apoB or on the transport of VLDL-apoB. Yet, treatment significantly lowered the transport of VLDL-TG. These data indicate that the lipid-lowering effect of L-carnitine in this animal model was due, in part, to a decrease in the transport and not due to an alteration in the fractional catabolic rate of VLDL-TG.