Objective:To investigate the attenuating effect of Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) on inflammatory injury in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Metthods:Rats were randomly assigned to 7 groups according to body weight including normal control group,HSYA blank group (76.8 mg/kg),COPD group,COPD+HSYA (30,48,76.8 mg/kg) groups and COPD+dexamethasone (2 mg/kg),10 in each group.Passive cigarette smoke and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharides were used to establish a COPD model in rats.Hematoxylin and eosin staining of lung tissue sections was used,real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assay mRNA levels of some cytokines in lung tissues,the cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),Westem blot analysis was used to determine phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) levels in lung tissues,and nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) p65 protein levels in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results:Lung alveolar septa destruction,alveolus fusion,inflammatory cell infiltration,and bronchiole exudation were observed.These pathological changes were alleviated in the COPD+HSYA group.The mRNA expression of inflammatory factors were significantly increased in lung tissues from COPD rats (all P＜0.01) and were inhibited by HSYA.Levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF of COPD rats were significantly increased (all P＜0.01) which were inhibited by HSYA (all P＜0.01,48,76.8 mg/kg).The levels of p38 MAPK phosphorylation and p65 in lung tissues of COPD rats were significantly increased (all P＜0.01) and were suppressed by HSYA (all P＜0.01,48,76.8 mg/kg).Conclusions:HSYA could alleviate inflammatory cell infiltration and other pathological changes in the lungs of COPD rats.HSYA could inhibit inflammatory cytokine expression,and increase phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and NF-κ B p65 in the lungs of COPD rats.The protective mechanism of HSYA to inhibit COPD inflammation might be by attenuating NF-κ B and p38MAPK signal transduction.