After 16 h nocturnal deprivation of food, male Wistar rats were irradiated by a single whole body dose of 2.40 Gy X-rays. Both the irradiated and sham-irradiated (control) rats were pair-fed for the first six days after irradiation, but for the rest of the time they were fed ad libitum. Lipoprotein lipase activity (LPLA) in the adipose tissue fell between 24 and 48 h; LPLA in the heart fell at 24 h and 21 days and rose on the 14th days. The serum triacylglycerol concentration rose between 24 and 72 h. Comparison with the fed control group showed LPLA in adipose tissue to be reduced at 6 and 72 h and on the 28th day and raised between the 7th and the 14th day. In the heart it was raised at 1 h and between 72 h and the 14th day, it was reduced on the 21st day and rose on the 35th day. The triacylglycerol concentration was raised between 48 and 72 h and on the 28th day. Pair-feeding after non-lethal X-irradiation allowed more exact differentiation of the specific effect of ionizing radiation on LPLA in the adipose tissue and heart at the early post-irradiation intervals.