To investigate the ultrastructural changes of kidney and clarify to a cause of its changes in lead intoxicated rats, the 0.5% lead acetate administed orally to the rats and those were sacrifled at 2 day, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 week after the treatment of lead acetate. Each extirpated kidney was histopathologically examined under the electron microscopy and histochemical examination was also carried out. Concomitantly, the activity of free radical metabolizing enzyme was determined. The blood levels of lead concentration showed a gradual increase from the first group reaching the plateau at the one or two week group with the slightly decreasing value throughout the whole course of the experiment. And the urinary ALA concentration showed a gradual increase from the first group to the 8 week group. In the kidney tissue of rat sacrified at 6 week, the proximal tubular cells showed dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial swelling, increased numbers of secondary lysosomes and myelin figure-like residual bodies on electron microscope and oxygen free radicals are identified by histochemistry on light microscope whereas there were no differences in the activity of catalase and glutathione peroxidase between the lead acetate treated group and control group. But the activity of xanthine oxidase was more increased in lead acetate treated rats than control group. Furthermore, the superoxide dismutase activity was significantly increased in the experimental group than the control group. In conclusion, it is assumed the kidney damage in lead intoxicated rat may be induced by free radicals.