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The relationship between serum aminotransferase levels and the acute hepatic necrosis induced by acetaminophen was studied in 24 male Wistar rats (220-265 g). The animals were divided into two groups, one of which was fasted for 66 h (group I) while the other was fed only sucrose cubes ad libitum (group II). The animals received I g acetaminophen per kg body weight 42 h after the onset of the experiment. Twenty-four hours later, blood was drawn to measure aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and the liver was removed for both macro- and microscopic examination. The intensity of the hepatic necrosis was scored according to the extent of the lesion. The hepatic necrosis was more frequent and intense in group I, with the aminotransferase levels being higher in this group (median AST and ALT levels were 3900 IU/l and 2511 IU/l, respectively, for group I and 119 IU/l and 79 IU/l, respectively, for group II). There was a positive correlation (rs) between the intensity of hepatic necrosis assessed microscopically and the levels of AST (group I, rs = 0.83; group II, rs = 0.79) and ALT (group I, rs = 0.58; group II, rs = 0.80). These findings suggest that aminotransferase levels are a reliable indicator of the degree of hepatic necrosis in this model of acetaminophen intoxication.