To evaluate the role of xanthine oxidase in liver damage by CCl4, a group of rats were fed tungstate for a month, which suppressed the activities of xanthine oxidase in serum and liver. Control group of rats were fed standard diet without tungstate. Liver damage was induced both in tungstate fed and control groups by two intraperitoneal injections of CCl4 at the level of 0.1ml/100g body weight at intervals of 24 hours. Increases in the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase by CCl4 were significantly smaller in tungstate fed rats than in control rats. Concomitantly, histopathologic changes were less in tungstate fed rats than in control ones. In rats either treated with CCl4 or not, hepatic type O xanthine oxidase activities were remarkably reduced by tungstate feeding. Hepatic aniline hydroxylase activities were higher in rats fed tungstate than control rats when animals were not treated with CCl4, but the enzyme activities were lower in tungstate fed rats than control when they were treated with CCl4. Neither tungstate feeding nor CCl4 treatment caused any significant changes in hepatic glutathione contents, and activities of hepatic glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. It is concluded xanthine oxidase reaction augment CCl4 induced liver damage via oxygen free radical system.