Objective To investigate the activation of NF-κB and regulation by ubiquitin(Ub)-proteasome pathway in the aorta of rats with chronic renal failure（CRF）. Methods The CRF rat model was established by right nephrectomy and left branch renal artery ligation. The CRF rats were were randomly divided into simple CRF group (n=20) and CRF+M group (n=20, treated by peritoneal injection, with MG-132, 10 μg&#8226;kg-1&#8226;d-1). Ten normal rats were used as control group ( CON ). The NF-κB and the Ub mRNA expression were detected by RT-PCR, and its protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry method. The activity of NF-κB was mesured by EMSA method. The concentration of IL-1 and TNF-α was detected by ELISA. Results Compared with the CON group, the concentration of serum IL-1 and TNF-α was increased significantly in CRF group [IL-1: (9.02±1.29) vs (2.74±0.96) mg/L, P<0.01; TNF-α: (50.02±9.52) vs (14.04±1.29) mg/L, P<0.01] at month 4 after operation. The mRNA expression of NF-κB and Ub in the aorta of CRF group was 1.38 and 1.29 times as that of CON group（P<0.01）, and the protein expression of NF-κB and Ub was 3.75 and 20.5 times as that of CON group（P<0.01）. Compared with the CON group, the activity of NF-κB in the aorta of rats of CRF group was elevated markedly at month 4 after operation（P<0.01）. All the indices were further increased at month 6 after operation. Compared with CRF group, the concentrations of serum IL-1 and TNF-α were decreased significantly in CRF+M group [IL-1: (2.94±0.33) mg/L, P<0.01; TNF-α:(12.80±2.12) mg/L, P<0.01]. The mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB and Ub were also decreased markedly(P<0.01), and the activity of NF-κB was decreased significantly at month 4 to 6 after operation(P<0.01). But the amount of ubiquitnative protein was increased significantly in the aorta of CRF+M group as compared to CRF group (P<0.01). Conclusion The inflammatory signal pathway of ubquitin-proteasome-NF-κB pathway was activated in the aorta of CRF rats, and the proteasome was probablely an important pharmacological intervention target to regulate the activation of NF-κB.