Tissue tolerance to pelvic intraarterial chemoembolization with cisplatin-lipiodol suspension was studied in rabbits. Cisplatin (3 mg/kg) was used with different doses of lipiodol (0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 ml/kg). Cisplatin-lipiodol suspension was injected into the umbilical artery through polyethylene catheter. It was found that the local tissue concentration of platinum (Pt) was increased with lipiodol, while that in the liver, heart and kidneys was reduced. Tissue retention of platinum was linearly related to the dosage of lipiodol. With a single dose of 0.2ml/kg lipiodol, only slight degeneration and sparse hemorrhage were observed without necroses. The result suggested that lipiodol, as liquid embolic agent, could give a transient embolic effect on local pelvic tissue with safety under 0.2ml/kg.