〔Abstract〕 Objective To explore the effect of exogenous recombined-growth differentiation factor 11(r-GDF11) on calcification of arteries in SD rats. Methods The SD rats were divided into five groups: calcification group, solvent control group, low-concentration group, medium-concentration group and high-concentration group. After 1 week of adaptive feeding, intraperitoneal injection of normal saline, r-GDF11 solvent and low, medium, high concentration r-GDF11 were given daily for 7 weeks, and then calcification was introduced. After 7 weeks of calcification induction, blood was collected from each group and the aortic vessels were separated. Von kossa·HE staining was used to observe the pathological status of vascular calcification. ELISA was used to determine the GDF11 and bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP4) level in serum. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to determine the levels of calcified markers like BMP4 and runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2) and the distribution of GDF11 in blood vessels. Results ① The serum BMP4 and GDF11 levels in the calcification group and the solvent control group were significantly higher than those in the low, medium and high concentration group, and the serum BMP4 and GDF11 levels in the low, medium and high concentration group successively decreased. ② Compared with the calcification group and the solvent control group, the calcium salt deposition in the low, medium and high concentration groups decreased, and the elastic fiber was more complete. The higher the r-GDF11 concentration, the less the calcium salt deposition and the more complete the elastic fiber. ③ The expression of RUNX2 and BMP4 in the low, medium and high concentration groups was lower than that in the calcification group and the solvent control group. The higher the r-GDF11 concentration, the lower the expression of calcification marker protein and the rarer the distribution of calcification marker protein in the immunohistochemistry. The higher the concentration of r-GDF11, the higher the expression of GDF11 in tissues and the more intensive the distribution in immunohistochemistry. Conclusion Exogenous treatment with r-GDF11 can reduce the effect on artery calcification in SD rats.