Aim To observe the effects of curcumin on blood lipid, endothelial function and oxidative stress of acute hyperlipidemia model rats, and to investigate the relationship between antioxidative effect and the expression of nuclear factor E-2-related 2(Nrf2). Methods Fourty healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, hyperlipidemia model group, high-dose curcumin group (250 mg/(kg·d)), low-dose curcumin group (125 mg/(kg·d)) and atorvastatin intervention group (2.1 mg/(kg·d)). The rats in normal control group and hyperlipidemia model group were gavaged with corn oil, rats in other groups were gavaged with high dose curcumin, low dose curcumin and atorvastatin respectively for 10 days. The acute hyperlipidemia model was established by intraperitoneal injection of yolk emulsion 1 hour after the last gavage. Serum total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDLC), oxygenized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), nitric oxide(NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured 24 hours after intraperitoneal injection, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content and pathological examination of aorta tissue were determined. Results Compared with the normal control group, the serum TC, TG, LDLC and ox-LDL increased in the rats of model group; SOD activity and NO content reduced, MDA content and expression of Nrf2 in the aorta tissue increased. Compared with the model group, serum TC, TG, ox-LDL and MDA content of aorta tissue was obviously decreased in high-dose curcumin group, low-dose curcumin group and atorvastatin intervention group, serum SOD activity, NO level and Nrf2 expression in aorta tissue increased. Conclusion Curcumin may play the role of endothelial protection through improving the antioxidant capacity of the aorta by lowering blood lipid and inducing the expression of Nrf2.