Temperature effects on the permeabilities of the structured endothelium and epithelium to antipyrine (AP) have been determined with the indicator dilution technique in isolated rat and dog lungs perfused between 38 and 8 degrees C. Permeability coefficients of the endothelium to AP [Pendo(AP)] from the Crone equation are smaller than values for isolated endothelial cells but close to the permeability coefficient of the interstitial epithelial plasmalemma [Pepi(AP)] obtained from physical and mathematical models. In these, tracer water is flow limited at the endothelium and the epithelium at all temperatures; AP is flow limited at the endothelium at T greater than 20 degrees C but barrier limited at the endothelium for T less than 20 degrees C and at the epithelium at all temperatures. At T less than 20 degrees C, log Pendo(AP) decreases regularly with 1/T, with a slope close to that found in cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. At 15 degrees C, Pendo(AP) for the endothelial plasmalemma in situ is 30 X 10(-5) cm/s and is 56 X 10(-5) cm/s for the isolated cells in support of transcellular rather than paracellular passage. At T greater than 20 degrees C, log Pepi(AP) in situ decreases slightly with 1/T, with a discontinuity at T = 20 degrees C, and for T less than 20 degrees C, decreases with 1/T with a slope close to that of Pendo(AP). At 15 degrees C, Pepi(AP) is 2.8 X 10(-5) cm/s. The discontinuity may represent a change in the physical state of lipids in the interstitial plasmalemma of the epithelial cells.