The ischemia and reperfusion injury of the skeletal muscles is caused by generation of reactive oxygen during ischemia and reperfusion. It is well known that over 4 hours of ischemia injures the skeletal muscles irreversibly. The author has demonstrated the effects of SOD (superoxide dismutase), DMTU (dimethyl thiourea) and ischemic preconditioning on ultrastructural changes of the muscle fibers in the rectus femoris muscles after 4 hours of ischemia and 1 day and 3 days of reperfusion. A total of 72 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats weighing from 200 gm to 250 gm were used as experimental animals. Under urethane(1.15 g/kg, IP, 2 times) anesthesia, lower abdominal incision was done and the left common iliac artery was occluded by using vascular clamp for 4 hours. The left rectus femoris muscles were obtained at 1 and 3 days after the removal of vascular clamp. The SOD (15,000 unit/kg) or DMTU (500 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally at 1 hour before induction of ischemia. The ischemic preconditioned group underwent three episodes of 5 minutes occlusion and 5 minutes reperfusion followed by 4 hours of ischemia and 1 day and 3 days of reperfusion. The specimens were sliced into $1mm^3$ and prepared by routine methods for electron microscopic observation. All specimens were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and then observed with Hitachi-600 transmission electron microscope. The results were as follows: 1. SOD or DMTU alone did not affect the ultrastructure of muscle fibers in the rectus femoris muscles. The electron density of mitochondrial matrix was decreased by ischemic preconditioning. 2. Dilated cisternae of sarcoplasmic reticulum, triad, mitochondria and the loss of myofilament in the sarcomere were observed in the 4 hours ischemia and 1 day reperfused rectus femoris muscles. Markedly changed sarcoplasmic reticulum, triad, disordered or loss of myofilament, indistinct A-band and I-band, and irregular electron lucent M -line and Z-line are seen in the 4 hours ischemia and 3 days reperfused rectus femoris muscles. 3. SOD reduced the changes of organelles in the muscle fibers of the 4 hours ischemia and 1 day reperfused rectus femoris muscles of the rats, but SOD did not affect the changes of muscle fibers in the 4 hours ischemia and 3 days reperfused muscles. On the other hand, DMTU markedly attenuated considerably the ultrastructural change of the 4 hours ischemia and 1 day or 3 days reperfused rectus femoris muscles. 4. By the ischemic preconditioning, the change was attenuated remarkably in the 4 hours ischemia and 1 day reperfused rectus femoris muscles. As the ischemic reperfused changes of muscle fibers were regenerated or recovered by ischemic preconditioning, the ultrastructures of them were similar to those of normal control in the 4 hours ischemia and 3 days reperfused rectus formoris muscles. Consequently, it is suggested that DMTU is stronger inhibitor to ischemic reperfused change than SOD. The ischemia and reperfusion-induced muscular damage is remarkably inhibited by ischemic preconditioning.