AIM: To explore the role of ZKSCAN3 in acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).  METHODS: After verifying the efficacy of ZKSCAN3 siRNA, male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=8): control group(group A), LPS group (group B), scrambled siRNA group (group C) and ZKSCAN3 siRNA group (group D). Mice in groups A and B were given 1 mL of PBS via tail vein; mice in groups C were given corresponding doses of PBS containing scrambled siRNA; and mice in group D were given corresponding doses of RNase-free PBS containing ZKSCAN3 siRNA (50 μg) . After 24 hours, mice in groups B, C, and D were instilled with LPS solution (5 mg/kg) through tracheal intubation to create an ALI model; group A was given the corresponding dose of PBS (20 μL). The samples were collected and tested 24 hours after the modeling administration. RESULTS: Compared with group B, silencing ZKSCAN3 gene expression reduced SOD activity and Bcl-2 level; while MDA, Bax and caspase-3 increased; correspondingly, the content of protein and cells in BAL, the apoptosis rate of lung tissue and the pathological score significantly increased (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Silencing ZKSCAN3 gene expression aggravates the lung injury caused by LPS, which may aggravate the pathological damage of lung tissue in mice by weakening the antioxidant function and aggravating tissue necrosis.