Aim To compare the short-term effects of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on serum lipids and markers of inflammation and endothelial function in patients with stable atherosclerosis. Methods Thirty-six patients with stable atherosclerosis were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg/day of rosuvastatin or 20 mg/day atorvastatin for 4 weeks. The change in the levels and patterns of lipoproteins, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）, Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase activity（ROCK）, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation （FMD） of the brachial artery were assessed before and after statin therapy. Results Rosuvastatin and atorvastatin both significantly lowered levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides，and hs-CRP from baseline values, and increased levels of hs-CRP and FMD. Both statins inhibited ROCK（P<0.05）, the extent of inhibition was greater with rosuvastatin （P<0.05）. ROCK and FMD was correlated to each other（P<0.05）. But ROCK was not correlated with the levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDLC）. FMD was not correlated with the levels of LDLC adn hs-CRP. Conclusions Short-term treatment with either rosuvastatin or atorvastatin inhibits ROCK and improves endothelium dysfunction in patients with atherosclerosis. But rosuvastatin inhibits ROCK even more than atorvastatin.