1 The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine to inhibit free radicals or metabolites generated by either stimulated human leucocytes or cellfree systems using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL). 2 Aminoguanidine (0.1 mM ± 10 mM), methylguanidine (10 mM ± 10 mM) and guanidine (10 mM ± 10 mM) produced concentration-dependent inhibition (96+0.1%, n=7, 59+1.3%, n=6, and 62+3%, n=6, P50.05 at 10 mM, respectively) in FMLP-stimulated leucocytes CL. 3 In cell-free experiments, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite-induced CL responses were initiated by hydrogen peroxide (3.5 mM), NaOCl (50 mM), FeSO 4 (40 nM) and peroxynitrite (20 nM), respectively. Aminoguanidine, methylguanidine and guanidine produced concentration-dependent inhibition in H 2 O 2 -(69+0.7%, n=7, 26+1%, n=6, and 15+0.5%, n=6, at 1 mM, respectively) and HOCl-(84+0.3%, n=6, 50+1%, n=6, and 29+1%, n=7, at 1 mM, respectively) induced luminol CL. Peroxynitrite-induced CL was markedly attenuated in a concentrationdependent manner by aminoguanidine (99+0.1%, n=6, at 10 mM), methylguanidine (5+0.2%, n=6, at 10 mM) and guanidine (27+0.4%, n=7, at 10 mM). However, inhibition with aminoguanidine was found to be more marked than with methylguanidine and guanidine. Aminoguanidine (95+0.5%, n=6, at 1 mM) and methylguanidine (25+1%, n=6, at 1 mM), but not guanidine (2+1%, n=6, at 1 mM), signi®cantly decreased ferrous iron-induced CL. 4 Collectively, these data suggest that aminoguanidine and a high concentration (50.1 mM) of methylguanidine have direct scavenging activities against H 2 O 2 , HOCl, hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite. Guanidine, at a high concentration (50.1 mM), scavenges H 2 O 2 , HOCl and peroxynitrite, but not the hydroxyl radical. These direct scavenging properties may contribute to inhibitory eects of these compounds on human leucocyte CL.