Relative resistance to oxygen toxicity in newborn animals (compared to adults) has been associated with increased antioxidant enzymes and glutathione in lung homogenate. The cell type(s) involved in this increase is unknown. We investigated the effect of hyperoxia in vitro and in vivo on the following antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and glutathione) in alveolar type II cells from neonatal rats. Type II cells were exposed to 95% oxygen or air for 48 h in vitro. When expressed per microgram DNA, all the antioxidants except catalase increased during in vitro incubation; only glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione increased when expressed per mg protein. None of the antioxidants was higher in oxygen-exposed cells than in air-exposed cells. Neonatal rats were exposed to 100% oxygen or air in vivo for 4 d before determination of antioxidants in lung homogenate supernatant and alveolar type II cells. Catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were higher but glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione were lower in type II cells than in lung homogenate from control animals. Alveolar type II cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione were increased but catalase and glutathione reductase were decreased by exposure to hyperoxia. We conclude that the oxygen-induced increase in whole lung antioxidants is not explained by alveolar type II cell hypertrophy or increased antioxidants within type II cells during hyperoxia.