The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of zinc and vitamin E on the antioxidative defense mechanism in the liver of streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Levels of blood glucose of STZ-diabetic rats were higher than that of control, but ZDM($ZnSO_{4}$ 10mg/kg injection+STZ) group was lower than those of DM(STZ injection) and EDM(vitamin E 400mg/kg diet+STZ) group. Levels of plasma insulin were lower in all three STZ-diabetic groups than those of control. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) peroxide values(LPO) in liver were increased 2.3-fold in DM group compared with those of control, while LPG in ZDM group was lower than that of DM group, and EDM group had similar tendency compared with that of control. Reduced glutathione(GSH) contents of liver were decreased in DM group compared with those of control, but increased 2.3, 1.7-fold in ZDM and EDM groups, respectively, compared with those of DM group. Oxidized glutathione(GSSG) was increased in DM group compared with control and GSSG in ZDM and EDM group were lower than that of DM group. GSH/GSSG ratio had similar tendency compared with results of GSH. The activities of free radical scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase were significantly decreased in DM group compared to those of control, but higher in ZDM and EDM groups than those of DM group. The metallothionein contents in liver and kidney were increased in DM and EDM groups were remarkably increased 20, 5.3-fold in ZDM group, compared with those of control.