The study was designed to compare the anti-carcinogenic effect of different level of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated rats by determining biomarkers (apoptosis, cell proliferation, eicosanoids, 1,2-diacylglycerol) and phospholipid fatty acid profile in colonic mucosa. Eighty male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 180-220g were randomly divided into 4 groups depending on the content of CLA, i.e. 0.0% CLA, 0.5% CLA, 1.0% CLA, 1.5% CLA. The experimental diet contained protein 21.6%, carbohydrate 54.6%, and fat 14.5% including CLA mixture at different level by weight. The experimental diet was fed for 14 weeks with the initiation of intramuscular injection of DMH, which was injected twice a week for 6 weeks to give total amount of 180 mg/kg body weight. Regardless of the amount of CLA supplemented to diet, CLA significantly increased the apoptotic index but did not have significant effect on cell proliferation in colonic mucosa. CLA was undetected in colonic mucosal phospholipid of rats fed the 0% CLA diet and increased to 5.9mg/g phospholipid in rats fed the 0.5% diet. The apoptotic index was increased by 251% and the 1,2-DAG content was decreased by 57% in rats fed 0.5% CLA. No further changes in these variables were observed when CLA in the diet was raised to 1.0% or 1.5%. However, dietary CLA decreased mucosal levels of prostaglandin (PG)E$_2$, thromboxane (TX)B$_2$, and arachidonic acid in dose-dependent manner. The present data indicate that dietary CLA can inhibit DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis by mechanism probably involving increased apoptosis.