Twenty male albino rabbits were studied. Four animals served as controls; the remaining 16 animals represented the treated group. All the treated animals were exposed to the same amount of energy delivered by the excimer laser (pulse rate: 20 Hz, fluence 250mJ/cm2; number of pulses: 6032; cumulative UV dose 1508 J/cm2) and were divided into eight groups of 2 animals each (four eyes). Samples of aqueous humor and lens were obtained at the following intervals: 5, 10, 20 and 40 min and 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The levels of reduced and oxidized glutathione, hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid and malondialdehyde were determined. Aqueous humor analyses, twenty min after PRK, showed no significant differences with pre-treatment values, while the observed variations in lens were constantly present over the entire follow-up period (one month). These findings suggest that the biochemical lens alterations induced by PRK may represent the earliest events relevant to cataractogenesis in the rabbit.