With the increasing application of electric and electronic devices in space and nuclear power stations, the polymeric insulation materials are inevitably exposed to various kinds of environments. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to investigate the effects of the radiation and air pressure on insulation materials. This paper describes the effects of gamma-ray irradiation and reduced pressure on dielectric breakdown of polybutylene naphthalate (PBN) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) by applying a DC pulse voltage. Both PBN and PBT were irradiated in air up to 100 kGy and then up to 1 000 kGy with a dose rate of 10 kGy/h by using a 60Co gamma-source. The effects of total dose and reduced pressure on the time to dielectric breakdown and discharge quantity were discussed. Obtained results show that, while increasing the total dose, the discharge quantity decreased with PBN, but increased with PBT. With decreasing the air pressure, the discharge quantity increased with PBN, but decreased with PBT. With increasing the total dose, the time to dielectric breakdown increased with PBN, but decreased with PBT. With decreasing the air pressure, the time to dielectric breakdown increased with both PBN and PBT. The experimental results suggest that the chemical structure of polybutylene polymers plays a main role in the result of radiation reaction,which is related to cross-linking and degradation reaction.