Lead intoxication induces oxidative damage on lipids and proteins. In the present paper we study in vivo and in vitro the antioxidant effect of vitamin-E and trolox, on the oxidative effects of lead intoxication in rat erythrocytes. Vitamin-E simultaneously administered to erythrocytes treated with lead was capable to prevent the inhibition of delta-aminolevulinic dehydratase activity and lipid oxidation. Partial but important protective effects were found when vitamin-E was administered either after or before lead exposure in rats. In vitro, the antioxidant trolox protected delta-ALA-D activity against damage induced by lead or menadione. These results indicate that vitamin-E could be useful in order to protect membrane-lipids and, notably, to prevent protein oxidation produced by lead intoxication.