OBJECTIVE：To study the protec tive effects of scoparone on acute liver injury induced by CCl 4 in mice and its potential molecular mechanism. METHODS ：Fifty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control group ，model group，silymarin group （positive control ，120 mg/kg），scoparone high-dose and low-dose groups （60，30 mg/kg），with 10 mice in each group. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically. Normal control group and model group were given constant volume of 0.5％ sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution ，once a day ，for 7 days. Two hours after last medication ， except normal control group was intraperitoneally injected constant volume of olive oil ，other groups were intraperitoneally injected 0.1％ CCl4 olive oil solution （10 mL/kg）at one time to establish the acute liver injury model. The pathological changes of liver tissues in mice were observed by HE staining ；the activity of AST ，ALT，SOD and CAT and the contents of IL- 1β，IL-6，TNF-α and MDA in serum were measured by ELISA ；the phosphorylation of nuclear factor κB（NF-κB）pathway related proteins （NF-κB p65，IκBα）in liver tissue were detected by Western blotting assay. RESULTS ：Compared with normal control group ，serum activities of AST and ALT ，the contents of MDA ，IL-1β，IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased in model group，the activities of SOD and CAT were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）；obvious pathological changes were observed in liver tissues ； phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and IκBα protein in liver tissues were significantly increased（P＜0.05）. Compared with model group ，the activities or contens of related factors in serum of mice were significantly reversed in silymarin group and scoparone high-dose and low-dose groups （P＜0.05）；the pathological changes of liver tissues were significantly reduced ；the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and IκBα protein in liver tissues were significantly reduced（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ： Scoparone has a protective effect on CCl 4-induced acute liver injury in mice ，which is related to reducing oxidative stress levels and blocking the activation of NF-κB pathway，thereby inhibiting inflammatory response.