DW-166HC (^(166)Holmium-chitosan) is a complex of ^(166)Ho, (β- and γ- ray emitter, and chitosan, a polymer of glucosamine, with radiotherapeutic potential. The current study was performed to determine the acute toxicities of ^(165)Ho-chitosan in mice by two different routes of administration. The both sex mice were given a single intravenous bolus injection of ^(165)Ho-chitosan complex at doses of 12, 10, 6, 5 and 4 mg/kg or subcutaneous administration at doses of 600, 500, 400 and 300 mg/kg. Chitosan was dosed to control animals as 16 and 800 mg/kg, intravenously and subcutaneously, respectively. The doses of ^(165)Ho-chitosan complex were expressed as ^(165)holmium nitrate pentahydrate and the ratio of ^(165)Ho(NO₃)₃, ·5H₂0 to chitosan was 3/4. Severe convulsion and respiratory failure were followed by death within 10 min after intravenous dosing. Transient unilateral hindlimb hypokinesias were found in two mice of 5 mg/kg dosing group during the study period. No abnormalities were observed during the necropsy of survived animals in intravenous dosing group. Only one male animal was found dead in 500 mg/kg subcutaneously dosed group. Alopecia with or without cutaneous ulcer were found in most mice including control animals. During necropsy, omental adhesion was observed in all dose ranges and enlarged spleen was found in several animals including control group. It is suggested that the acute intravenous LD_(50)s for male and female mice were 4.90 and 6.03 mg/kg, respectively. The lowest lethal dose in male was 500 mg/kg by subcutaneous administration.