Sulphate conjugation of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) in the liver and platelet cytosol of guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs were studied. The dependency of phenol sulphotransferase (PST) activity on p-NP concentration in the liver of guinea pigs and rabbits and in the platelets of guinea pigs were similar to that reported for the liver (Mizuma et al., J. Pharmacobio-Dyn., 6, 851 (1983)) and platelets (Nakamura et al., J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 42, 207 (1990)) of rats. There was one peak of PST activity on p-NP at the concentration of 1 to 10 microM, and the PST activity was increased again with an increase of p-NP concentration above the original concentration. On the other hand, a peak in PST activity on p-NP at the concentration of 1 to 10 microM was not observed in the platelets of rabbits and dogs. These results indicated species and organ differences in PST activity on p-NP in liver and platelets. The biphasic activities of the PST and p-NP in platelets and liver of rat and guinea pig were similar to that reported in humans (Reiter et al., Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol., 324, 140 (1983)).