The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin E on antioxidative defense system of liver in acute cadmium poisoned rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 100$pm$10gm were randomly assigned to one control and three cadmium injected groups. Cadmium injected groups were fed vitamin E free diet(OE-Cd group), 40mg vitamin E per kg diet(40E-Cd group) or 400 mg vitamin E per kg diet(400E-Cd group). Vitamin E level of normal group was 40mg per kg diet. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with 2.0mg Cd$^2$$^$+//kg bw for 4 days after the rats were fed diets with three different levels of vitamin E for 2 and 4weeks. Activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione peroxidase(GSHPx) and glutathione S-transferase(GST) were decreased in cadmium injected groups but those were significantly improved by dietary vitamin I supplementations. Vitamin E contents reduced glutathione(GSH) in the live were decreased in cadmium injected groups, but we., not significantly different among three groups with different levels of vitamin E supplementations. Contents of liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) of 0E-Cd group were higher than those of 400E-Cd and 400E-Cd groups, but those were markedly alleviated according to vitamin E supplementations. These results indicate that cadmium poisoning in rats causes decreasing antioxidative defense system and increasing peroxidative damage in liver, however can be restored by vitamin E supplements. (Korean J Nutrition 33 (1) : 33-41, 2000)