To investigate the effects of salicylates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposed to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cultured through to the postlogarithmic phase of growth. Stress was induced by the addition of 1.5 mmol l(-1) H2O2 for 1 h, while N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) and glutathione (GSSG) were used as control agents that affect the redox balance. Sodium salicylate, at 0.01-10 mmol l(-1)or acetylsalicylic acid, at 0.02-2.5 mmol l(-1) was administered at various times before hydrogen peroxide stress. Both agents conferred resistance to a subsequent hydrogen peroxide stress, similarly to the induction of the adaptive response observed upon pretreatment with NAC and GSSG. Sodium salicylate was more potent as a short-term, but not as a long-term pretreatment agent, compared to acetylsalicylic acid. Pharmacological pretreatment with salicylates resulted in dose related increases in cell survival, indicating the induction of the protective response in yeast. The possible role of salicylates in the modulation of the hydrogen peroxide stress response in eukaryotic cells address questions on the effects of these commonly used therapeutic agents in a number of disorders exhibiting an oxidative stress component.