Objective       To determine the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） and membrane associated prostaglandin E-1 （mPGES-1） in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis  and determine the effects of ator-vastatin on the expression.       Methods        Forty male New Zealand rabbits (3 months old) were fed with normal diet （blank-control group

n=8） and high-cholesterol diet （n=32） respectively for 8 weeks. Then

the high-cholesterol diet rabbits were subsequently assigned to receive non-treatment (simple atherosclerotic model group)

and treatment groups with atorvastatin at 2.5

5  and 10 mg/(kg·d) respectively (n=8 for each group). Six weeks later

all rabbits were sacrificed and their coronaries were removed. The expression of COX-2 and mPGES-1

and serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）

triglyceride （TG）

high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C），low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （VLDL-C）were evaluated respectively.       Results        Compared with the blank-control group

the expression levels of COX-2 and mPGES-1

and the serum levels of total TC

TG

LDL-C and VLDL-C were all significantly increased

and HDL-C was significantly reduced in model group（P0.05）. After being treated by atorvastatin with 5 mg/(kg·d) and 10 mg/(kg·d)

the levels of COX-2 and mPGES-1

and TC

TG

LDL and VLDL were significantly decreased

but HDL was increased compared with the corresponding values of the model rabbits （P0.05）.       Conclusion        Atorvastatin may play anti-atherosclerotic inflammation role through down-regulating COX-2/mPGES-1 and reducing blood lipid.