Objective To investigate the effects of ischemic postconditioning （IPO） on inflammatory response inischemia-reperfusion （IR） injury of rat lungs in vivo. Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups inclu-ding a sham surgery group （S group），a 30-minute IR group （I/R-30 group），a 120-minute IR group（IR-120 group），a 30-minute IPO group （IPO-30 group），and a 120-minute IPO group （IPO-120 group）. There were 8 rats in each group. All therats received left thoracotomy after anesthesia. In the sham surgery group，a line was only placed around the left hilum butnot fastened. In the I/R-30 group and I/R-120 group，a line was fastened to block the blood flow of the left lung for 1 hour，then loosened for reperfusion for 30 minutes and 120 minutes respectively. In the IPO-30 group and IPO-120 group，afterblocking the blood flow of the left lung for 1 hour，the left hilum was fastened for 10 seconds and loosened for 10 seconds（repeating 3 times for 1 minute），then the line was loosened for 30 minutes and 120 minutes respectively. The levels of interleukin-10 （IL-10） in lung tissues and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （sICAM-1） in plasma were measured. Histopathological changes of lung tissues were observed and diffuse alveolar damage （DAD） scores was calculated.Results The levels of plasma sICAM-1 in the I/R-30 group and I/R-120 group were significantly higher than that of S group ［（2.140±0.250）μg/L vs. （0.944±0.188）μg/L，P=0.003；（2.191±0.230）μg/L vs. （0.944±0.188）μg/L，P=0.003］. IL-10levels in lung tissues in the I/R-30group and I/R-120 group were also significantly higher than that of S group［（15.922±0.606）pg/mg pro vs. （7.261±0.877）pg/mg pro，P=0.037；（17.421±1.232）pg/mg pro vs. （7.261±0.877）pg/mg pro，P=0.042］. Pathologic lesions of lung tissues in the I/R-30 group and I/R-120 group were more severe than that of S group. After IPO, plasma sICAM-1 levels in the IPO-30 group and IPO-120 group were significantly lower than those in the I/R-30group and I/R-120 group respectively ［（1.501±0.188）μg/L vs.（2.140±0.250）μg/L，P=0.038；（1.350±0.295）μg/L vs.（2.191±0.230）μg/L，P=0.005］. IL-10 levels in lung tissues in the IPO-30 group and IPO-120 group were significantly higherthan those in the I/R-30 group and I/R-120 group respectively ［（20.950±1.673）pg/mg pro vs.（15.922±0.606）pg/mgpro，P=0.008；（25.334±1.173）pg/mg pro vs.（17.421±1.232）pg/mg pro，P=0.006］. DAD scores in the IPO-30 group andIPO-120 group were significantly lower than those in the I/R-30 group and I/R-120 group respectively ［6.8±1.4 vs. 11.5±1.9，P=0.007；7.5±1.6 vs. 13.2±1.7，P=0.005］. Pathological lesions of the lung tissues of IPO groups were less severe than those of I/R groups. Conclusion IPO can attenuate IR injury by inhibiting inflammatory response in rat lungs.