The effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and its major metabolite, 3, 5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (BHT-acid) on the uptake of taurocholate into hepatocytes was studied using the primary culture of rat hepatocytes. Hepatocyte were isolated by an in situ collagenase perfusion technique and maintained as a monolayer in serum-free meadia for 24 hours before use. The uptake of taurocholate was saturable with an apparent Km of 12.8+2.8 MuM and Vmax of 0.18+0.01 nmol/mg/min. Both BHT and BHT-acid inhibited the hepatocellular uptake of taurocholate when they were added to the culture.