This study is conducted to determine the effects of dietary source of $omega$3 fatty acids on preneoplastic foci and the glutathione dependent enzymes in rat hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed one of three diets containing 10% (w/w) fats fixed p/s = -1.0 and $omega$6/$omega$3 ratio = -0.4 or 4.0 ; fish oil-com oil blended (FC), com oil-beef tallow-fish oil blended (CF), com oil-beef tallow-perilla oil blended (CP), from gestation period. At 10 weeks, animals of experimental groups were injected intraperitoneally with DEN (200 mg/kg body weight) and two-thirds partial hepatectomy was carried out 3 weeks later and were sacrificed 8 weeks after DEN initiation. The area and number of glutathione S-transferase placenta (GST-P) positive foci were significantly decreased in rats fed diets containing fish oil (FC and CF) than those fed perilla oil diet (CP). Fish oil feeding significantly increased the activities of glutathione dependent enzymes. Rats fed diets containing fish oil (FC and CF) significantly increased the glutathione (GSH) content and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Glutathione dependent enzymes had significantly negative correlation with GST-P positive foci. Glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase) was increased in rats feeding fish oil. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were not different among groups. Therefore, the preventive effect against hepatocarcinogenesis might be explained by induction of the glutathione dependent enzymes and G6Pase. (Korean J Nutrition 36(8): 785∼792, 2003)