Hepatocyte ("hyperplastic") nodules induced in the liver by initiation with diethylnitrosamine and selected by dietary 2-acetylaminofluorene plus partial hepatectomy ("resistant hepatocyte model") have a special pattern of biochemical behavior and metabolic activity different than that seen acutely with many xenobiotics including many promoting agents and carcinogens. The nodule cells show a very low uptake of 2-acetylaminofluorene, relative to surrounding and normal liver, low levels of activity in the cytochromes P-450 and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, high levels of activity in gamma-glutamyltransferase, microsomal epoxide hydrolase, soluble glutathione-S-transferase and soluble UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UDP-GT(1)) and elevated levels of glutathione. This metabolic pattern appears to maximize the resistance of the nodules to xenobiotics generally, such as 2-acetylaminofluorene, and thereby may account for the resistant behavior of nodule hepatocytes to the inhibition of cell proliferation and the cytotoxicity by 2-acetylaminofluorene and other carcinogens. The possible importance of this seemingly new metabolic program in carcinogenesis is discussed briefly.