Objective To investigate effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) via portal vein injection on transforming growth factor-β receptor 1 (TGF-βR1) and TGF-βR2 in rats with acute liver failure (ALF). Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, ALF model group, and BMSCs treatment group, with 20 rats in each group. The rats of normal control group were directly sacrificed without other treatment. The ALF models were made in the rats of BMSCs treatment group and ALF model group, then were treated with BMSCs and equal volume of normal saline respectively. On day 7 after treatment, the 1-week survival situation of rats was observed, the pathological change was observed by HE staining, the apoptosis of liver cells was detected by TUNEL method, and the TGF-βR1 and TGF-βR2 proteins expressions were detected by Western blot method. Results ① The 1-week survival rate of the BMSCs treatment group was significantly higher than that of the ALF model group (P<0.05). ② In the ALF model group, the liver cells were diffuse necrosis, the lobular structure was indistinct, and a large number of bridging necrosis. In the BMSCs treatment group, the infiltrations of inflammatory cells were decreased, and the structure of hepatic lobules gradually recovered, and the normal hepatocytes were seen around it. ③ The apoptosis indexes of the BMSCs treatment group and the ALF model group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P<0.05), which in the BMSCs treatment group was significantly lower than that of the ALF model group (P<0.05). ④ The TGF-βR1 and TGF-βR2 proteins expressions in the liver tissues of the ALF model group were significantly higher than those of the normal control group (P<0.05), which of the BMSCs treatment group were significantly lower than those of the ALF model group (P<0.05). Conclusion BMSCs could inhibit apoptosis of hepatocytes in ALF. Its mechanism might be related to expressions of TGF-βR1 and TGF-βR1 proteins, but its specific regulatory pathway needs to be further studied.