We investigated the effect of hydrogen peroxide-treated metallothionein on the hepatic xanthine oxidase activity in vitro. When the metallothionein was preincubated with 1 mM of hydrogen peroxide, the activity of xanthine oxidase and type conversion were elevated dose-dependently by the addition of metallothionein into the reaction mixture. While increasing the treatment of hydrogen peroxide to the $50{mu}g$of metallothionein, the xanthine oxidase activity and type conversion ratio were remarkably elevated dose dependently compared to the control. When cadmium ion was added to the reaction mixture, the increasing pattern of the enzyme activity was similar to the effect of hydrogen peroxide-treated metallothionein. DTT or penicillamine restored the increasing activity and type conversion of xanthine oxidase by the cadmium ion to the control level.