Abstracts. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of lead acetate on the distribution of ”endogenic” iron in rabbit tissue and body fluids. The study was conducted on clinically healthy mongrel rabbits. Lead acetate at the doses of 0,4 or 2,0 mg/kg b.w. was injected once inravenously. The rabbits in the control group were treated with 0,9% saline solution. After euthanasia, in 72^nd hour after injection of lead acetate samples of liver, kidneys, brain, skeletal muscles, perirenal fat, blood and urine were taken and mineralised dry a muffle furnace at 450ºC. Iron was determined directly in mineralisate by the atomic spectrophotometry on a Pye Unicam SP-9 apparatus. It has been found that the administration of lead acetate dependent on the dose applied changes the level of ”endogenic” iron in the examined tissues. The exposure to lead acetate at a dose of 0,4 mg/kg decreases the level of ”endogenic” iron in the liver and fat of rabbits. After administration at the dose of 5 times higher observed significant increase „endogenic” iron in kidneys and blood.

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