Carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)-induced$ liver injury depends on a toxic agent that has to be metabolized by the liver NAPDH-cytochrome P450 enzyme system to a highly reactive intermediate. Although several isoforms of cytochrome P450 may metabolize $CC1_4$, attention has been focused largely on the cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), which is ethanol-inducible. Alternations in the activity of CYP2E1 affect the susceptibility to hepatic injury from $CC1_4$. In this study, the liver protective effect of the hot water extracts of Scutellaria radix (SR) was investigated. The SR exhibited a hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4-induced$ liver damage in Chang liver cells. The expression of CYP2E1, measured by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, was significantly decreased by SR treatment in Chang cells. Based on these findings, it is suggested that hepatoprotective effect of SR possibly related to downregulation of CYP2E1 expression.