AIM: To study the effects of protein kinase C on the expression of MMPs that may play an important role in the formation of atherosclerosis and the possible mechanism of Danshen injection to treat atherosclerosis. METHODS: 50 Sprgue-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups randomly: control group (group C), model group (group M) and Denshen treatment group (group D). The serum was collected to measure the level of cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-ch). The expression of PKC and MMPs were measured by immunohistochemistry. Light microscope and electron microscope were also used. RESULTS: ① The cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-ch concentrations in group M and group D were significantly higher than those in group C (P