Objective: Interleukin-8 (IL-8) represents the prototypical chemokine that is made by a wide variety of cell types. Previously studies have suggested that angiotensin II (Ang II) is involved in atherogenesis through induction of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 or monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), while the role of Ang II on IL-8 expression in VSMCs is poorly studied. Methods: In this study, VSMCs were isolated from the thoracic aorta of Sprague-Dawley rats. The expression of smooth muscle α-actin was confirmed by an immunocytochemical method. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses were conducted to detect IL-8 expression. Results: In the present study we found that Ang II significantly increased the expression of IL-8 both at the mRNA and protein levels in rat VSMCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings suggested that Ang II may participate in atherosclerosis through induction of inflammatory mediator in VSMCs.