Gold(I)-containing compounds have long been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the molecular mechanism of their action has remained largely unknown. In this paper we have demonstrated that gold(I) drugs selectively activate the DNA binding of a heterodimer consisting of the basic-leucine zipper transcription factors Nrf2 and small Maf. Once bound to its recognition DNA sequence termed antioxidant-responsive element or Maf-recognition element, Nrf2/small Maf induces a set of antioxidative stress genes, including heme oxygenase-1 and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, whose products have been demonstrated to contribute to the scavenging of reactive oxygen species and to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. Our findings suggest that stimulation of antioxidative stress response through activation of Nrf2/small Maf may be a pharmacologically important part of the actions of gold(I) drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Alternatively, activation of Nrf2/small Maf may be a protective response of cells against toxic effects of the drugs.