Aim To explore the effects of probucol combined with atorvastatin on carotid atherosclerosis of cerebral infarction patients. Methods 120 acute cerebral infarction patients included 68 males and 52 females,whose average age were 74±15 years.They all had atherosclerosis plaques detected by carotid artery ultrasonography.All subjects were divided randomly into 2 groups: atorvastatin group were treated with atorvastatin(20 mg/d) which included 35 males and 25 females,whose average age were 73±16 years;combined treatment group were treated with atrovastatin(20 mg/d) combined with probucol(500 mg/d) which included 33 males and 27 females,whose average age were 76±18 yeares.The lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2) activities in serum,characters of carotid atherosclerosis plaques of the two groups were assayed before treatment,6 month,12 month and 24 month after treatment. Results Lp-PLA2 activities in the two groups pretreatment were 18.43±8.01(mmol/(min.L)) and 18.65±8.12(mmol/(min.L)) respectively and there were no significant difference in the two groups.It decreased distinctly to 14.98±4.21(mmol/(min.L)) and 12.68±2.04(mmol/(min.L)) 6 month after treatment in the two groups,especially in com-bined treatment group;and it decreased further to 11.57±1.62(mmol/(min.L)) and 11.98±1.43(mmol/(min.L)) respectively 12 months after treatment and kept on the comparable level as 12 month on the 24 month time point:12.06±1.68(mmol/(min.L)) and 11.34±1.61(mmol/(min.L)).The magnitude of varieties in atorvastatingroup was much larger than that in combined treatment group(P><0.05).In atorvastatin group the average integral ofstable plaques were 2.73±0.31,2.68±0.46,3.92±0.28 and 3.84±0.35 respectivly on pretreatment,6 month,12month and 24 month time point after treatment.The average integral on the 6 month time point dropped compared withpretreatment but had no significant difference.The average integral on 12 month and 24 month after treatment increasedremarkably than those on the two former time point(P><0.05);the average integral of vulnerable plaques were 6.82±0.37,4.38±0.42,3.02±0.43 and 3.28±0.29 respectively.The integral on 6 month after treatment dropped distinctlythan before(P><0.05) and it dropped continuately on 12 month and 24 month after treatment(P><0.01).In combinedtreatment group the average integral of stable plaques were 2.68±0.34,2.73±0.50,3.01±0.44 and 2.89±0.42 re-spectivly on pretreatment,6 month,12 month and 24 month after treatment.There were no difference significantly.Theaverage integral of vulnerable plaques were 7.08±0.39,4.92±0.33,3.11±0.46 and 2.28±0.41 respectively.Theintegral dropped progressively by time and there were significant differences between integrals in every two time point.There was no significant difference of the carotid atherosclerosis plaque integral before treatment in two groups.For stableplaques,the average integral increased on 12 month and 24 month after treatment in atorvastatin group than that in com-bined treatment group(P><0.05).For the vulnerable plaques,the average integral after treatment dropped remarkblythan pretreatment.And the decrease apitude in combined treatment group on 12 month and 24 month were more obviousthan those in atorvastatin group(P><0.01).Conclusion It is an important strategy to stablize plaques for treatmentof atherosclerosis of cerebral infarction.Protocol combined with atorvastatin was an important treatment to antiatheroscle-rosis in secondary prevention from ischemic stroke.It could degrade level of LDL,inhibit the information of ox-LDL,bring down the Lp-PLA2 activities in circulation especially surpress the secretion of Lp-PLA2 from macrophagocyte.Theantiatherosclerosis role is multiaspect and multiple-target-point.