Objective To explore the role of ERK1/2 in the expression of the type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) induced by parathormone(PTH) in human renal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 cells. Methods Various concentrentions of PTH and manifold durations were applied in the test. The expression of PAI-1 mRNA and protein in HK-2 cells was measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Besides, ERK1/2 protein was detected by Western blotting before the ERK1/2 inhibitor incubated with the HK-2 cells or after. Results The expression of PAI-1mRNA and protein was gradually up-regulatad along with the increasing concentrations of PTH (10-12-10-10 mol/L). The maximum level of PAI-1 mRNA and protein was detected in 10-10 mol/L PTH and was 4.01 and 3.81 times of control group. Otherwise, the decreased expression of PAI-1 was found while the concentrations of PTH were beyond 10-10 mol/L. The levels of PAI-1 mRNA and protein were increased in pace with time from 12 to 72 hour, in time-dependent manner, which was 4.06 (12 h) and 4.03 (72 h) times of 0 hour group. The levels of ERK1/2 and PAI-1 were ascended after 10-10 mol/L PTH incubated with the HK-2 cells (all P<0.01). Howerver, both of them decended after cells were pretreated by the ERK1/2 inhibitor (all P<0.01), but were still higher than those of control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion ERK1/2 kinase system partly participates in the regulation of PAI-1 induced by PTH in HK-2 cells.