Objective To investigate the effect of resveratrol (RSV) on the lymphotoxin analog ( LIGHT) / herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) pathway in rats with preeclampsia ( PE) and its protective effect on kidney injury. Methods Fifty pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 10 rats each: the normal group, PE model group, RSV low dose group (50 mg / kg), RSV high dose group (200 mg / kg), and LIGHT/ HVEM pathway blocker group (lymphotoxin beta receptor-immunoglobulin fusion protein [LTβR-Ig], 1600 μg / kg). All rats except those in the normal group were intraperitoneally injected with nitroso-L-arginine methyl ester ( 300 mg / kg, once daily for 5 days) to establish a rat model of PE. After successful establishment of the model, RSV solution was given by gavage to the rats in the RSV low and high dose groups, LTβR-Ig solution was injected via the tail vein to the rats in the LIGHT/ HVEM pathway blocker group, and the same amount of normal saline was given by gavage and tail vein injection to the rats in the Normal and PE groups. Each group was treated once a day for 5 consecutive days. After the last administration, 24-hour urine was collected and blood samples were obtained, and the serum creatinine ( Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and 24-hour urinary protein were measured as renal function indices using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect the pathological changes of renal tissue. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the relative levels of LIGHT and HVEM mRNA in renal tissue. Western blot was used to detect the relative expression levels of LIGHT, HVEM, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin-6 ( IL-6) in renal tissue. Results Compared with the rats in the Normal group, those in the PE group exhibited pathological damage such as diffuse proliferation of glomerular endothelial cells and higher levels of Scr, BUN, 24-hour urine protein, renal tissue LIGHT mRNA and protein, HVEM mRNA and protein, and NF-κB and IL-6 protein expressions (P< 0. 05). Compared with the PE group, the pathological damage of renal tissue was alleviated in the RSV low dose group, RSV high dose group, and LIGHT / HVEM pathway blocker group; additionally, the Scr, BUN, 24-hour urine protein, renal tissue LIGHT mRNA and protein, HVEM mRNA and protein, and NF-κB and IL-6 protein expressions were lower (P< 0. 05). The changes in these indicators in the RSV high dose group were better than those in the RSV low dose group. No significant difference was observed between the LIGHT/ HVEM pathway blocker group and RSV high dose group (P> 0. 05). Conclusions RSV can inhibit the protein expression of the LIGHT/ HVEM pathway in renal tissue of rats with PE and improve PE-induced renal injury.