['Insulin resistance (IR) is recognised as an aetiopathogenic factor for a variety of liver diseases. This study investigated the susceptibility of the liver to the toxic actions of thioacetamide (TA) in a rat model of IR, induced by feeding the rats a high-fructose diet (60 g/100 g) for 30 days.', 'Hepatic function and damage were assessed at 0 hour and at 6, 12, 24 and 36 hours after a sublethal dose of TA (300 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was administered.', 'After 30 days of fructose feeding, the rats showed IR, a decline in their liver antioxidant status and a rise in lipid peroxidation. Liver dysfunction in fructose-fed rats was evident from a rise in transaminase and total bilirubin, a decrease in the albumin/globulin ratio in plasma, a decrease in nitrite and arginase, and an increase in protein carbonyl and nitrosothiol content in the liver. Increased staining for the 3-nitrotyrosine antibody was observed in the fructose-fed rat livers as compared to the controls. TA (300 mg/kg) caused 80 percent mortality in fructose-fed rats within 48 hours, while no death occurred among the controls.'] Does insulin resistance induced by a high-fructose diet potentiate thioacetamide hepatotoxicity?