The effect of 'scavengers' of reactive oxygen products (ROPs) was studied in the heterologous phase of anti-glomerular basement (anti-GBM) nephritis induced in rats. Glomerulonephritis was induced by the intravenous administration of sheep anti-GBM antibody (5 mg/100 g) to rats on day 0. The intraperitoneal administration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) 30 mg/kg/day or 150 mg/kg/day leads to a significant reduction in proteinuria on day 1 and also on day 3 in animals given SOD 30 mg/kg/day. Proteinuria was not significantly reduced by the intraperitoneal administration of inactivated SOD (150 mg/kg/day). In rats given polyethylene glycol coupled catalase (PEG-catalase) intraperitoneally at a dose of 10,000 iu/kg/day and 100,000 iu/kg/day proteinuria was lower than in rats with unmodified anti-GBM nephritis. These differences were significant on day 1 (P less than 0.05) in rats given PEG-catalase 100,000 iu/kg/day and on days 3 and 5 in rats treated with either dose of PEG-catalase (P less than 0.01). These data suggest a role for superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, or a product of their interaction such as hydroxyl radical, in glomerular injury induced by anti-GBM antibody.