Aim To investigate the effect of resveatrol in red wine on the activity of NF-κB and the expressions of protein kinase Co (PKCα) induced by xanthine and xanthine oxidase in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cell (SMC). Methods At first we used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide metabolism to study the proliferation, then detected activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and the protein and mRNA expressions of protein kinase Ca (PKCα) by using electro-phoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA), immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridyzation in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC). Results 100 - 200 μmol/L resveatrol (RES), an effective composition in red wine, was confirmed to inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells. At same time, the activity of NF-κB as well as the protein and mRNA expressions of protein kinase Ca in rabbit aortic SMC, which were promoted by the oxygen free radicals induced by xanthine and xanthine oxidase, were inhibited. Conclusions Resveatrol may antagonize the increasing of NF-κB activity as well as protein and mRNA expressions of protein kinase Cμ indued by oxygen free radicals in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells, which may play an important role in preventing active oxygen species leision to atherosclerosis.