To evaluate an effect of ethanol pretreatment on the toluene metabolism, toluene (50% in olive oil) was given three times at 0.2 ml/100g body weight at the interval of one day to the rats fed with 5% ethanol during two months. The ethanol pretreated rats were not identified particular liver injury by the histopathologic findings. In case of toluene treatment, the ethanol pretreatment to the rats led to more increased concentration of urinary hippuric acid than those treated with only toluene. The ethanol pretreatment to the rats led to the increased activities of hepatic aniline hydroxylase and these enzyme activities were higher both in toluene treated and those pretreated with ethanol, but no differences were found in two groups. Ethanol pretreated rats showed the more increased activities of benzylalcohol dehydrogenase than control group. Moreover, the ethanol pretreatment to the toluene treated rats led to significantly more increased activities of benzylalcohol dehydrogenase compared with those treated with toluene only. Furthermore, the alcohol pretreatment to the toluene treated rats also led to somewhat higher activities of benzaldehyde dehydrogenase than those treated with toluene. In conclusion, these results indicate that the chronic pretreatment of ethanol at not so much liver damage as normal may rather activate the toluene metabolism.