OBJECTIVE： To study the improvement effects of Atorvastatin calcium tablets on renal injury in nephrotic syndrome model rats， and to explore its possible mechanism. METHODS： Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group and Atorvastatin calcium tablets group， with 10 rats in each group. Model group and Atorvastatin calcium tablets group rats were given adriamycin 6 mg/kg intravenously for consecutive 21 d to induce nephrotic syndrome model. Since 22th day， Atorvastatin calcium tablets group was given drug 8 mg/kg intragastrically while normal group and model group rats were given equal amount of distilled water intragastrically， once a day， consecutive 6 days every week， for consecutive 10 weeks. At the second day after last medication， the plasma levels of albumin （ALB）， total protein （TP）， cholesterol （CH）， urine albumin excretion rate （UAE） were determined in each group. RP-PCR and Western blot assay were used to detect mRNA and protein expression of AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1） and nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） in liver tissue. RESULTS： Compared with normal group， the levels of ALB and TP， mRNA and protein expression of AMPK and SIRT1 were decreased significantly in model group （P＜0.01 or P＜0.001）， while the levels of CH and UAE， mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB were increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001）. Compared with model group， the levels of ALB and TP， mRNA and protein expression of AMPK and SIRT1 were increased significantly in Atorvastatin calcium tablets group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001）， while the levels of CH and UAE， mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB were decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001）. CONCLUSIONS： Atorvastatin calcium tablets has significant improvement effect on the renal injury of nephritic syndrome model rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with up-regulating the expression of AMPK and SIRT1 and down-regulating the expression of NF-κB.