Male Wistar rats and C57BL mice were treated by phenobarbital (PB), 2,4,6-triphenyldioxane-1,3 (TPD) and 1,4-bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP). The CYP2B specific activities (PROD and BROD) were determined in the animal livers. PB administration significantly increased levels of PROD- and BROD-activity in the rat and mouse livers, whereas TPD induced CYP2B activities only in rat liver and TCPOBOP--only in mouse liver. The result of Western-blot analysis showed that PB and TPD increased CYP2B protein content in rat liver, PB and TCPOBOP--in mouse liver. Results of multiplex RT-PCR showed that the increase in CYP2B enzymatic activities reflected at least in part an increased mRNA levels. Thus, our results provide evidence to support the conclusion that the species-dependent differences of CYP2B induction occur because of differences of transcriptional activation of CYP2B genes.