Aim To investigate whether atorvastatin can improve the endothelial function through activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Methods Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured in vitro.And the 2~4 generation were used.Experiment 1: ①control group;②lipopolysaccharide group(1.0 mg/L);③atorvastatin 1.0 group(atorvastatin 1.0 mmol/L);④lipopolysaccharide+atorvastatin 1.0 group(atorvastatin 1.0 mmol/L);⑤lipopolysaccharide+atorvastatin 5.0 group(atorvastatin 5.0 mmol/L).After human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with different concentrations of atorvastatin and lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours,the expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were evaluated with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.The content of nitric oxide,soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 in cell culture fluid were measured with Nitrate reductase and ELISA.Experiment 2: ①control group;②atorvastatin 5.0 group(atorvastatin 5.0 mmol/L);③GW9662 group(GW9662 0.2 mmol/L);④lipopolysaccharide+atorvastatin 5.0 group(atorvastatin 5.0 mmol/L);⑤GW9662+lipopolysaccharide+atorvastatin group 5.0 group(GW9662 0.2 mmol/L,atorvastatin 5.0 mmol/L).After human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with atorvastatin,lipopolysaccharide and GW9662(the specific inhibitor of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) for 24 hours,the expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammain human umbilical vein endothelial cells were evaluated with RT-PCR.The content of nitric oxide,soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 in cell culture fluid were determined with the way of Nitrate reductase and ELISA. Results The expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were upregulated by different concentrations of atorvastatin.The expression reinforced with the increased concentration of atoravastatin.Compared with control group,the contents of nitric oxide significantly increased and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 decreased in cell culture fluid when Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with lipopolysaccharide+atorvastatin 1.0 mmol/L and lipopolysaccharide+atorvastatin 5.0 mmol/L.The effects reinforced with the increased concentration of atorvastatin.The effects of atorvastatin are partially inhibited by GW9662(the specific inhibitor of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma). Conclusion The endothelial function was improved by atorvastatin partially through activating Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.