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Both maternal protein malnutrition and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have deleterious effects on brain development, but a comparison of these effects has not been previously reported. The objectives of this study were to investigate and compare the effects of both factors on the oxidative status of the central nervous system (CNS), including the spinal cord, in offspring rats. We evaluated various parameters of oxidative status and antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT) in different regions of the CNS from 60-day-old rats subjected to prenatal and postnatal protein restrictions [middle protein restriction 12%, severe protein restriction (SPR) 4%] or IUGR produced by uterine artery ligation. Furthermore, we compared these study groups to each other and to control rats fed an isocaloric 24% protein diet. Results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Both protein restrictions and IUGR altered various parameters of oxidative status. In all evaluated structures, protein restrictions resulted in increases in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances level and index of lipid peroxidation (P<0.001), and in decreases in antioxidant enzyme activities (P<0.005). IUGR also increased lipid peroxidation levels in the blood samples (P<0.04) and protein oxidative damage in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex (P<0.005); however, no effects were detected on the spinal cord. The greatest decrease in CAT activity was in the cerebellum of rats fed with SPR diet (P<0.001). This study suggests that not only severe but also middle protein malnutrition have deleterious effects on CNS structures, including the spinal cord. Protein restriction has a greater effect on the redox state of the CNS than IUGR.