It is shown that sodium bicarbonate effectively protects the organism from toxical action of sodium nitrite. Administration of this drug promotes the increase of the lifetime of animals under intoxication with lethal doses of sodium nitrite. The preliminary administration of sodium bicarbonate permits one to decrease the level of methemoglobin in the blood under intoxication with sublethal doses of sodium nitrite, to normalize activity of the basic enzymes of antioxidant protection--superoxide dismutase, catalase glutathione reductase as well as the total activity of dehydrogenases of pentose phosphate way. Under the protection with sodium bicarbonate the level of lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes decreases, the increment of content of the restored glutathione in response to sodium nitrite intoxication decreases.