T he plasma appearance of newly synthesized cholesterol in anhepatic laboratory diet-fed rats was 10% of the intact rat. In intact rats this cholesterol was mainly ester in lower density lipoproteins, but for anhepatic rats it was virtually only free in high density lipoprotein. Chylomicron cholesterol ester was removed much more slowly from anhepatic than control plasma and returned primarily as free in high density lipoproteins, with the control return 10 times the anhepatic return. Lower density lipoprotein cholesterol ester transfer to an extravascular pool in anhepatic rats was less than 10% of controls. The liver was responsible for 95% of the extravascular lower density lipoprotein ester pool and only 50% of the for high density lipoprotein ester. Despite decreased anhepatic lipoprotein catabolism, the mass of both plasma low and high density lipoproteins progressively decreased indicating an even greater decrease in influx. The anhepatic fractional catabolic rate of apo A1 was similar to controls, but that of apo E was considerably less. Despite the unchanged catabolism of apo A1 and the reduced catabolism of apo E, plasma apo A1 decreased less than apo E after hepatectomy. The anhepatic data confirm the pivotal role of the liver in maintaining plasma low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. They suggest that, in addition to its anabolic and catabolic functions, the liver also acts as a reservoir buffering changes in plasma concentration.