Survival and renal function were studied after 60 min of renal ischaemia and contralateral nephrectomy in four groups of French loop rabbits. One group served as untreated control animals. The other groups were pretreated with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, lidoflazine or a buffered albumin solution containing mannitol, L‐methionine and MgCl2. Six out of nine rabbits died during the 14‐day follow‐up period in the untreated control group, while the corresponding figure in each of the three treatment groups was one out of nine. Five of the rabbits that died exhibited azotaemia or hyperpotassaemia that could explain the death, while four died of non‐renal related causes. In the surviving animals, no differences in serum creatinine, potassium and sodium concentration or urinary output of osmoles was observed between the four groups. The increase in serum creatinine of the French loop rabbits observed after 60 min of ischaemia was considerably less pronounced than the corresponding increase observed in New Zealand White rabbits, indicating that the kidneys of the former strain are more tolerant to ischaemia. A cardiomyodepressant factor could be demonstrated in the venous effluent from previously ischaemic kidneys. This release could not be prevented by pretreatment with SOD and c