Adriamycin is a one of anthracyclin antibiotics isolated from the culture media of Streptomyces peucetius var casius. The formation of reactive oxygen metabolite by redox cycling during the metabolism and the inhibition of DNA synthesis results in antineoplastic effects of adriamycin. The authors have demonstrated the effects of SOD(superoxide dismutase) or DMTU (dimethyl thiourea), which are used as an antioxidant, on the ultrastructural changes of the gastric chief cells after the administration of adriamycin in the rat. Adriamycin (30 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to the Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 220 gm and SOD (15000 unit/kg) or DMTU (500 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to the rats 30 minutes after the administration of adriamycin. The gastric chief cells 24, 48 and 72 hours after the administration of adriamycin were observed with Hitachi-600 electron microscope. The results were as follows. 1. SOD or DMTU alone did not affect the ultra structures of the gastric chief cells in the rat. 2. Dilation, sacculation and segmentation of the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, dilation of the saccules of Golgi complex and dilated mitochondria with electron lucent matrix were seen in the adriamycin treated rats. In the course of time, the ultrastructures of the chief cell changed markedly. 72 hours after drug administration, severely dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, with clumping of chromatin around the nuclear envelope and mitochondria with electron lucent matrix and dilated cristae were seen in the chief cell. 3. The treatment of SOD is more effective than DMTU to attenuated the ultrastructural changes of the chief cells in the adriamycin administered rat. Consequently it is suggested that adriamycin would induce the degenerative changes of the organelles of the chief cell. The treatment of SOD is more effective than DMTU to attenuate the adriamycin induced damage.