The mechanism of active aldehyde-induced liver disease and the enzymatic basis of detoxification were investigated using normal rat liver cell, Ac2F. Aliphatic alcohols including l-decyl alcohol, l-nonanol, l-heptanol, l-hexanol, l-propanol and allyl alcohol exerted a dose- and time-de-pendent toxicity to Ac2F cells. The extent of their toxicities in buthionine sulfoximine (inhibitor of glutathione synthesis) pretreated cells was greater than in pargyline (inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase, ALDH). On the other hand, the toxicity of these alcohols were not affected by 4-methylpyrazole (inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, ADH). These results suggest that the contents of glutathione (GSH) seems to be very important in protecting the cells from toxicants such as aliphatic alcohols.