The counter-transport phenomena in the hepatic transport of 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) were kinetically investigated by analyzing the plasma disappearance-time profiles and the transport into the isolated hepatocytes. In vivo "counter transport phenomena" were simulated based on the perfusion model which incorporated the carrier-mediated transport and the saturable intracellular binding. The condition that the mobility of carrier-ligand complex is greater than that of free carrier is not essential for the occurrence of counter-transport phenomenon. To examine the inhibitory effects on the initial uptake of a ligand by the liver, it is necessary to judge whether the true counter-transport mechanism (trans-stimulation) is working or not. The initial plasma disappearance curves of ANS were then kinetically analyzed based on a two-compartment model, in which the ligand is eliminated only from the peripheral compartment (liver compartment). No effects on the initial plasma disappearance rates of ANS were observed after preloading of bromophenol blue (BPB) or rose bengal (RB) in the liver. Inhibitory effect of BPB or RB on the initial uptake (or efflux) rates of ANS by the isolated hepatocytes were not observed, suggesting that the true counter transport mechanism is not working. In conclusion, checking the preloading effects of transstimulation on the initial uptake of a ligand by the liver could be a useful criterion for carrier cycling and common use of the same carrier between two ligands. However, one cannot exclude those possibilities even if the preloading effects cannot be observed.