Aim To investigate the impact of hyperuricemia(HUA) on blood pressure and serum adiponectin(APN) and to explore the relationship between endothelial function and the change of serum APN induced by hyperuricemia. Methods Thirty six male Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 goups.HUA was induced in rats over 6 weeks by a high-yeast extract(YE) diet united intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate(OA) suspension(n=12).Allopurinol was administered simultaneously with the OA and YE in allopurinol-treatment group.Normal diet-fed rats were used as control.Systolic blood pressure(SBP) was measured.At the end of 6th week plasma uric acid were detected by automatic biochemical analysis.APN,endothelin-1(ET-1),nitrogen monoxidum(NO) were measured by ELISA and the expression of endothelial nitricoxide synthase(eNOS) in aortic tunica intima was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with contol,levels of UA,ET-1,SBP were significantly higher in model group,but levels of APN,NO and expression of eNOS in aortic tunica intima were significantly lower.There was an increase of serum APN,NO and higher expression of eNOS in aortic tunica intima in allopurinol-treatment group,but a decrease of UA,ET-1 and SBP.APN was negatively related to SUA,ET-1 and SBP. Conclusion Decrease of serum adiponectin and nitic oxide,and increase of endothelin-1 levels may be involved in the hyperuricemia-induced hypertension in rats.