Iodine distribution was studied in isolated porcine eyes after iontophoresis using 131l-labelled solutions and chemical methods. After a 15-min treatment with a therapeutically used iodine brine, the iodine content in the ocular tissues showed the following rank order: cornea > retina > vitreous body > anterior chamber fluid > lens. Replacement of the brine by 0.15 MNal increased the uptake values in a different way, but the same rank order was maintained. The increase was highest in the cornea (5.6-fold) and only about 2-fold in the lens, nevertheless approaching now the level of 10––4 M, a concentration which was regarded as being optimal for the antioxidant effect of I––. Among the other eye components, the relatively high iodine enrichment of the retina was remarkable. The data are discussed with respect to a possible protective, antioxidative and OH-scavenging efficacy of I and to previous results in the literature concerning iodine uptake in ocular tissues.