In the present study, we examined the regulation of the expression and function of ABCA1 by modified LDL (ox-LDL) in vitro. After incubation with apoA-I for 24 h, RAW264.7 cells effluxed 37.65% cholesterol loaded by acetyl LDL (ac-LDL), and 9.78% cholesterol in ox-LDL group. The level of ABCA1 mRNA increased about three times either when cells were incubated with -100 microg /mL ac-LDL or with 100 microg /mL ox-LDL. However, the level of ABCA1 protein rose by 1.57 times in ac-LDL group and 1.26 times in ox-LDL group. These results demonstrated that ox-LDL had different effect on the expression and function of ABCA1, ox-LDL might decrease the cholesterol efflux mediated by ABCA1 through other unknown mechanisms.