The influence of acute diabetes (8 days), induced by streptozotocin (45 mg.kg'1 body weight) on myocardial and renal antioxidative conditions was investigated. The animals were given subtherapeutical doses of insulin (Interdep 6 (J. kg'1 body weight, s.c.). Considerably increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity were found in the myocardium of diabetic animals. The oxidized glutathione (GSSG) level and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity remained unchanged. The reduced glutathione (GSH) level as well as the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) were significantly lower. The activity of GSH-PX in the kidneys of diabetic rats increased by 60 % and that of GST by 105 %, respectively. CAT and SOD activity values were unchanged.