OBJECTIVE Epidemiological studies have shown the close correlation between the disorder of lipid metabolism and many severe diseases, including stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes and so on.Meanwhile, disorder of serum lipid level occurred in patients with chronic inflammation disease, such as rheumatic arthritis and lupus erythematosus.This study was designed to explore the action of persistent inflammation in lipid metabolism in vivo and in vitro.Effects of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) were also observed in this study.METHODS ① Animals were divided into four groups including hyper-fat diet group (high fat diet), inflammation group (high fat diet + zymosan, 20 mg·kg-1, i.p., once every 5 d), PDTC group (high fat diet + zymosan, 20 mg·kg-1 , i.p., once every 5 d + PDTC, 100 mg· kg-1, i.p., daily) and PNS group (high fat diet + zymosan, 20 mg· kg-1 , i.p., once every 5 d + PNS 120 mg·kg-1 , i.g., daily).② To study the effect of persistent inflammation on lipid metabolism in normal rats, animals were divided into four groups including control group (normal diet), simple-inflammation group (normal diet + zymosan, 20 mg· kg-1 , i.p., once every 5 d), PDTC group (normal diet + zymosan, 20 mg·kg-1, i.p., once every 5 d + PDTC, 100 mg·kg-1, i.p., daily) and PNS group (normal diet + zymosan, 20 mg· kg-1 , i.p., once every 5 d + PNS 120 mg·kg-1 , i.g., daily).RESULTS ①Persistent inflammation could induce and aggravate the lipid metabolism disorder in normal rats and hyper-fat diet rats respectively.Compared with control group and hyper-fat diet group, the serum TNF-α, TC, TG and LDL levels increased significantly, and the level of HDL decreased noticeably.② Persistent inflammation reduced the LPL activity, the expression of LPL(mRNA and protein) significantly.③ In PDTC and PDTC therapy group, the levels of TNF-α, TC, TG and LDL were decreased and the HDL level, the expression of LPL (mRNA and protein), the activity of LPL were increased by comparison of that in inflammation group and simple-inflammation group respectively.④ The treatment of PNS (i.g.) could improve the lipid metabolism disorder caused by inflammation.The levels of TNF-α, TC, TG and LDL were decreased and the HDL level, the expression of LPL (mRNA and protein), the activity of LPL were increased by comparison of that in inflammation group and simple-inflammation group respectively.CONCLUSION ① Persistent inflammation could induce and aggravate serum lipid metabolism disorder in rats through down-regulating the expression and activity of LPL.② The treatment of PNS could ameliorate the lipid metabolism disorder induced by persistent inflammation via up-regulating the expression of LPL.