Abstract： Objective　(1) To observe the safety and efficacy of the portal vein embolization with the ethanol-lipodol mixture injection in rats. (2) To find the optimum ratio of ethanol and lipodol in the mixture and offer theoretical foundation for the treatment of hepatic carcinoma with the mixture transportal injection. Methods Ninety rats were divided into 9 groups with 10 rats per group. All the rats were treated with a mixture of absolute ethanol and lipodol in different ratios, which was slowly injected into the portal vein during open surgery. The dose of mixture was 0.5 ml/kg. In 3 days, 7 days, and 21 days after the injection, the rats were killed, the infarction areas of liver were compared and the change of liver function was determined as well. Results　(1) 3 rats died in 6 hours after injection, 87 rats survived well. (2) Various degrees of infarction of the liver were obtained with the ethanol-lipodol mixture in ratios over 1∶2 transportal injection, in which the degrees of infarction was same in groups of 3∶1, 4∶1, and absolute ethanol（P>0.05）, the degrees of infarction in groups of 2∶1, 1∶1, and 1∶2 was not better than those in group of absolute ethanol（P<0.05）. Conclusion　(1) The ethanol-lipodol mixture was an optimum embolic material used in the portal vein embolization. (2) As an embolic material used in the portal vein clinically, the 3∶1 ethanol-lipodol mixture might be more efficient and safer than absolute ethanol.