Clinical trials have demonstrated renoprotective effects of atorvastatin (ATV) and pitavastatin (PTV), which belong to the strong statins, are more potent than other statins. We reported previously that ATV attenuated the development of hypertension in SHR with increasing the endothelial and neuronal NO synthases (eNOS, nNOS) expressions in the kidney, whereas ATV inhibited the eNOS phosphorylation at serin1177 (J Hypertes 28: 2278-2288, 2010). To clarify the mechanisms of renoprotective effects of PTV, the present study examined the effects of PTV on blood pressure, renal functions, NOS and oxidative stress in the kidney of SHR. Five-week-old, male SHR were given orally PTV (2mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 8 weeks. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured. The NOS expression and eNOS phosphorylation were analyzed by Western blot. The NADPH oxidase activity was measured by the lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence method. PTV attenuated the progression of hypertension (220 ± 8 vs. 177± 4 mmHg, P<0.01) and albuminuria (684 ± 66 vs. 398 ± 42 mg/day, P<0.01) without changing plasma total cholesterol or creatinine. PTV increased the eNOS and nNOS expressions in the outer and inner medulla of the kidney (eNOS; by 182% and 186%, nNOS; by 315% and 194%, P<0.01). PTV significantly stimulated the eNOS phosphorylation at serin1177 in the inner medulla and inhibited the eNOS phosphorylation at threonine495 in the outer and inner medulla. PTV decreased hydrogen peroxide (13.4 ± 2.1 vs. 6.1 ± 1.2 nmol/day, P<0.05) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (236.6 ± 12.4 vs. 198.3 ± 10.6 nmol/day, P<0.05) in the urine and the NADPH oxidase activity (42681± 2515 vs. 32381 ± 1995 c.p.m/mg protein, P<0.01) in the renal cortex. These results indicate that PTV attenuates the development of hypertension and albuminuria in SHR with increasing the eNOS and nNOS expressions, changing the eNOS phosphorylation to an active form and mitigating oxidative stress in the kidney. The antihypertensive and renoprotective effects of PTV may be mediated in part by an upregulation of NO system and down-regulation of oxidative stress in the kidney.