Objective To investigate the effects of different reperfusion sequence on hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury and its related mechanisms. Methods Ninety-six healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups by using random digits method (n=16, each)： Sham operation group, only shammed operation for negative control; the other 5 groups were all experimental groups, which were divided according to different reperfusion sequences of portal vein and hepatic artery: reperfusion first through the portal vein for 1 min with subsequent full reperfusion group, reperfusion first through the portal vein for 2 min with subsequent full reperfusion group, reperfusion first through the hepatic artery for 1 min with subsequent full reperfusion group, reperfusion first through the hepatic artery for 2 min with subsequent full reperfusion group, simultaneous reperfusion through the portal vein and hepatic artery group. Each group was further randomly divided into two subgroups (n=8, each) for sample collection at 2, 4 hours after reperfusion respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathion (GSH) in hepatic tissue were detected respectively. HE staining of histopathologic slides was used to observe the morphological changes of hepatic tissue. TUNEL method was used to assess the apoptosis index (AI) of hepatocytes. Results The liver of rat was approximately normal in the sham operation group with lower levels of ALT, AST, MDA and AI, and higher levels of SOD and GSH as compared with all the experimental groups (P＜0.01). Less hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury was found in reperfusion first through the portal vein for 1 min with subsequent full reperfusion group, whose ALT, AST, MDA and AI levels were significantly lower than those of the other experimental groups (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01), and its SOD and GSH levels were higher than those of the other experimental groups (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). HE staining also showed milder hepatic injury in reperfusion first through the portal vein for 1 min with subsequent full reperfusion group as compared with the other experimental groups. Conclusion Hepatic reperfusion first through portal vein for short time with subsequent full reperfusion could depress the synthesis of free oxygen radicals and suppress apoptosis of hepatocytes, thus relieving hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.