In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that atorvastatin can prevent pulmonary vascular remodeling in a rat model of pulmonary hypertension induced by aortic banding by down-regulating the expression of RhoA/Rho kinase, inhibiting the proliferation and increasing the apoptosis of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells and attenuating the inflammation of pulmonary arteries. Here, RHOA is linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension.