To evaluate the effect of xanthine oxidase on liver injury by $CCl_4$, liver damage was induced both in allopurinol pretreated rats (500 mg/kg. ip) and control group by twice intraperitoneal injection of $CCl_4$ (0.1 ml/100 g body wt. 50% in olive oil) at interval of one day. Increases in the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and liver weight/body weight (%) by $CCl_4$ were significantly smaller inallopurinol pretreated rats than in control whereas the hepatic microsomal glucose-6-pholphatase activities were significantly higher in allopurinol pretreated rats than control group by $CCl_4$ treatment. These results indicates that allopurinol pretreatment may reduce the liver damage in $CCl_4$ intoxicated rats. In rats either with $CCl_4$or not, hepatic type O xanthine oxidase activities were significantly reduced by allopurinol pretreatment and the increasing rate of these enzymes to each control was remarkably lower in allopurinol pretreated rats than control. Liver cytosolic protein contents and aniline hydroxylase, aminopyrine demethylase activities were higher in allopurinol pretreated rats than coirol rats when animals were treated with $CCl_4$. On the other hand, neither allopurinol pretreated nor $CCl_4$ treatment caused any significant changes in hepatic superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Hepatic glutathione contents were higher in $CCl_4$-treated rats than control, but no significant changes were found in both between the allopurinol treated rats and $CCl_4$-treated rats pretreated with allopurinol, and glutathione and glutathione S-transferase activities were significantly reduced in $CCl_4$-treated rats than control whereas these enzyme activities showed on significant change in both between allopurinel treated and $CCl_4$-treated rats pretreated with allopurinol. It is concluded that xanthine oxidase reaction system augment $CCl_4$ induced liver injury via even oxygen free radical system.