The hydroxyl-containing dithiocarbamates, sodium (di(hydroxyethl)-dithiocarbamate (NaY) and sodium N-methyl, N-dithiocarboxy-D-glucamine (NaG), appear to possess definite advantages over sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) in reducing the cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (Cis-Pt)-induced renal damage in rats given Cis-Pt as an IV bolus of 7.5 mg/kg 1 h before the IP administration of the dithiocarbamate. Renal damage, as estimated by blood urea nitrogen (BUN) values and serum creatinine levels, was less at all times up until sacrifice in animals given NaY or NaG than in those given DDTC. An even more effective method for suppression of Cis-Pt renal toxicity is to use a combination of procedures. The most efficacious combination involves a 24-h pretreatment with DDTC or NaG plus acetazolamide and normal saline hydration 30 min before administration of Cis-Pt, followed by post-treatment with NaG. With this combination therapy renal function can be almost completely spared. Although DDTC or NaG pretreatment is highly effective when used in conjunction with NaG post-treatment, DDTC or NaG pretreatment alone has no renal sparing effect on renal function or renal platinum accumulation. In experiments in which antidotes were given 1 h after Cis-Pt and the animals were followed up for 75 days, a chronic interstitial nephritis at 75 days, suggesting a persistent cell-mediated immune response to Cis-Pt-induced renal damage, may be the basis for chronically abnormal renal function resulting from Cis-Pt. Treatment with all three dithiocarbamates, NaY, NaG, and DDTC, reduced the intensity of this cellular reaction and also reduced platinum levels in the kidneys. Although NaY and NaG are effective heavy metal chelators and renal function is spared and kidney platinum levels are substantially reduced by the dithiocarbamates, no parallel loss of antineoplastic activity by Cis-Pt on the rat Walker carcinoma was observed. Since the dithiocarbamates have no known human toxicity that would disqualify their clinical use, phase 1 clinical trials are indicated.