We study the global regularity of solutions of the homogeneous Dirichlet problem for the parabolic equation with variable nonlinearity u(t) - div (vertical bar del u vertical bar(p(x, t)-2)del u - f) = 0 in Q(T) = Omega x (0, T), where p(x, t), f(x, t) are given functions of their arguments, n >= 2 and 2n/n+2 < p(x, t) <= 2. Conditions on the data are found that guarantee the existence of a unique strong solution such that u(t) is an element of L-2(QT) and vertical bar del u vertical bar is an element of L-infinity (0, T; L-p(center dot) (Omega)). It is shown that if partial derivative Omega is an element of C1+beta with beta is an element of (0, 1), p and f are Holder-continuous in <(Omega)over bar> x (0, T], D(i)f(j) is an element of L-2(Q(T)) and vertical bar del p vertical bar is an element of L-infinity (Q(T)), then for every strong solution D(ij)(2)u is an element of L-2(Omega x (s, T)) with any s is an element of (0, T).