The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin E on liver microsomal cytochrome P450 contents and xanthine oxidase activity in acute cadmium poisoned rats. Sprague Dawley male rats weighing 100$pm$10g were randomly assigned to one normal and three cadmium injected groups. Cadmium injected groups were fed vitamin E free diet(0E Cd group), 40mg vitamin E per kg diet(40E Cd group) or 400mg vitamin E per kg diet(400E Cd group). Vitamin E level of normal group was 40mg per kg diet. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with 2.0mg Cd2+/kg bw for 4 days after the rats were fed diets with three different levels of vitamin E for 2 and 4 weeks. Body weight, food intake and feed efficiency ratio of cadmium injected animals, were decreased compared with those of normal group. The weights of liver and kidney in cadmium injected groups were not different from those of normal group. Cadmium contents of liver in cadmium groups were 160 fold higher those that of normal group. Accumulation of cadmium poisoned rat liver was reduced by vitamin E supplementation. Contents of blood hemoglobin and hematocrit in 0E Cd groups were decreased to 2~ 14% of those of the other groups. Contents of serum triglyceride in all experimental groups were not significantly different each other. Levels of serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and antherogenic index in 0E Cd and 40E Cd groups were higher than those of normal group, while the contents of HDL cholesterol in 0E Cd and 40E Cd groups were lower than those of normal group. Xanthine oxidase(XOD) activity and cytochrome P450 contents in the liver were significantly increased in cadmium injected groups but these were reduced by vitamin E supplementations. The present results indicate that acute cadmium poisoning in rats causes increasing free radical generation systems in the liver and that leads to liver tissue damage. But these abnormalities can be reduced by dietary vitamin E supplementations.