This study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary protein and cysteine levels on cadmium toxicity in rats. Seventy-two male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighting 171$pm$3g were blocked into 12 groups according to body weight, and were raised for 30 days. cadmium chloride was given at levels of 0 or 400ppm, protein at levels of 7, 15 and 40%, and cysteine was added(total dietary cysteine contents : 0.45%) to diet or not. The results are summarized as follow. Food intake, weight gain, food were lower than those of cadmium free group. But, these were increased with increasing dietary protein level and cysteine addition. Fecal cadmium excretion was remarkably increased in high protein (40%) groups. Thus, cadmium retention rates were decreased in high protein groups. Metallothionein concentrations in liver and kidney were increased in cysteine addition, and cadmium administration. Especially, these were remarkably increased in cadmium and cysteine added groups. Urinary calcium excretion was increased with cadmium administration, but urinary protein excretion and creatinine clearance were not changed in these animal. In conclusion, food intake, weight gain and organ weights were decreased with administration. Cadmium toxicity was alleviated by increasing fecal cadmium excretion, while cysteine addition increased metallothionein concentrations in liver and kidney. From these results, it was shown that cadmium toxicity was alliviated by synergistic effect of high protein level and cysteine addition.