Abstract: Objective To investigate the role of antioxidants-catalase,reduced glutathione and β-carotin in UVR-induced DNA damage.Methods After extracting human peripherial blood lymphocytes and treating with catalase,reduced glutathioneβ,-carotin as well as ultraviolet radiation,the damaged degree of lymphyocytic DNA was examined with single cell gel electrophoresis.Results With the UVR dose increasing,the damaged degree of lymphocytic DNA increase gradully;after treating with three antioxidants UVR-induced DNA damage was reduced and its effects showed dose-dependent manner within a certain range.Conclusions Catalase,reduced glutathione andβ-carotin were perfect antagonists to UVR-induced DNA damage;single cell gel electrophoresis was an ideal method of analyzing UVR-induced DNA damage.