Abstract： Objegtlve To study the effect of lipexins on the proliferation and secretion of peritoneal macrophages from patients with preeclampsia in vitro.Methods Peritoneal macrophages were obtained from 24 patients with preeclampsia(preeclampsia group)and 24 normal pregnant women(normal pregnant group)who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical Coilege from March to July 2007.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the supernatant of macrophages which were pulsed with lipoxins at different concentrations(0,10,100 nmol/L)in both groups after 48 hours.Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT)assay was used to detect the inhibition rate of cell proliferation of macrophages which were pulsed with lipoxins at different concentrations(0,10,100 nmol/L)in both groups after 24 hours.Results (1)The concentration of TNF-α:the levels of TNF-α were(1867.5±47.3),(1836.9±4.5) and (1800.5±2.7)ng/L after treatment with differed concentrations of lipoxins(0,10,100 nmol/L)in preeclampsia group vs normal pregnant group[(791.3±62.2),(789.4±2.3),(781.5±1.9)ng/L].The levels of TNF-α in preeclampsia group were significantly higher than that in normal pregnant group(P＜0.05).Lipoxins significantly inhibited the concentration of TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner in preeclampsia group (P＜0.05),while it had no significant effect in normal pregnant group(P＞0.05).(2)Cell proliferation inhibition:Incubation with lipoxins produced a dose-dependent(0,10,100 nmol/L)inhibitory effect on proliferation in preeclampsia group,[(14.8±6.3)%,(32.9±3.6)%,(36.7±3.8)%],vs normal pregnant group[(16.8±6.9)%,(16.7±5.4)%,(15.9±2.1)%].The rate of cell proliferation in preeclampsia group was significantly hisher than that in normal pregnant group.Lipoxins significandy inhibited this growth(P＜0.05),while it had no significant effect in normal pregnant group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Lipoxins can inhibit the proliferation of macrophage and secretion of TNF-α in preeclampsia in a dose-dependent manner.Lipoxins may be potentially useful in prevention and treatment of preeclampsia.