Acute pancreatitis (AP) causes release of plateletactivating factor (PAF),which induces systemic effects that contribute to circulatory disturbances and multiple organ failure.PAF is a cell surface secretion of bioactive lipid,which could produce physiological and pathological effects by binding to its cell surface receptor called platelet-activating factor receptor (PAF-R).Studies showed that PAF participates in the occurrence and development of AP and administration of platelet-activating factor receptor antagonists (PAF-RAs) could significantly reduce local and systemic events after AP.PAF has also been implicated as a key mediator in the progression of severe AP,which can lead to complications and unacceptably high mortality rates.Several classes of PAF-RA show PAFRAs significant local and systemic effects on reducing inflammatory changes.As a preventive treatment,PAF-RA could block a series of PAF-mediatedinflammatory injury and thus improve the prognosis of AR This review introduces the important role of PAF-RA in the treatment of AP.