The role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) was investigated in intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced acute lung injury associated with oxidative stress. To induce acute lung injury following intestinal I/R, superior mesenteric arteries were clamped with bulldog clamp for 60 min prior to the 120 min reperfusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. Acute lung injury by intestinal I/R was confirmed by the measurement of lung leak index and protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Lung leak and protein content in BAL fluid were increased after intestinal I/R, but decreased by WEB 2086, the PAF receptor antagonist. Furthermore, the pulmonary accumulation of neutrophils was evaluated by the measurement of lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the number of neutrophils in the BAL fluid. Lung MPO activity and the number of neutrophils were increased (p＜0.001) by intestinal I/R and decreased by WEB 2086 significantly. To confirm the oxidative stress induced by neutrophilic respiratory burst, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity was measured. Lung GGT activity was significantly elevated after intestinal I/R (p＜0.001) but decreased to the control level by WEB 2086. On the basis of these experimental results, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), lysoPAF acetyltransferase activity and PAF contents were measured to verify whether PAF is the causative humoral factor to cause neutrophilic chemotaxis and oxidative stress in the lung following intestinal I/R. Intestinal I/R greatly elevated PLA2 activity in the lung as well as intestine (p＜0.001), whereas WEB 2086 decreased PLA2 activity significantly (p＜0.001) in both organs. LysoPAF acetyltransferase activity, the PAF remodelling enzyme, in the lung and intestine was increased significantly (p＜0.05) also by intestinal I/R. Accordingly, the productions of PAF in the lung and intestine were increased (p＜0.001) after intestinal I/R compared with sham rats. The level of PAF in plasma was also increased (p＜0.05) following intestinal I/R. In cytochemical electron microscopy, the generation of hydrogen peroxide was increased after intestinal I/R in the lung and intestine, but decreased by treatment of WEB 2086 in the lung as well as intestine. Collectively, these experimental results indicate that PAF is the humoral mediator to cause acute inflammatory lung injury induced by intestinal I/R.