Objective To explore the association between lncRNA CD36-005 and endometrial decidualization, as well as the role of lncRNA CD36-005 in decidualization of the rat endometrium.Methods Models of early pregnancy and artificially induced decidualization in rat uteri were established. The expression level of lncRNA CD36-005 was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). An in vitro model of decidualization was established using endometrial stromal cells. Following overexpression or knockdown of lncRNA CD36-005, the expression levels of decidualization marker genes were assessed by qRT-PCR.Results The relative expression level of lncRNA CD36-005 in the uterine tissues of female rats on gestation days 5-8 was significantly lower than that on days 1-4 (P < 0.05). On gestation days 6-8, the expression of lncRNA CD36-005 at implantation sites was significantly lower than that at non-implantation sites (P < 0.05). In both artificially induced decidualized uterine tissues and decidualized endometrial stromal cells, lncRNA CD36-005 expression was markedly reduced (P < 0.05). Overexpression of lncRNA CD36-005 in decidualized stromal cells significantly inhibited the expression of Hand2 and Prl8a2 (P < 0.05), whereas knockdown of lncRNA CD36-005 significantly increased the expression of these two genes (P < 0.05).Conclusion LncRNA CD36-005 is lowly expressed in the uterus during early pregnancy, in artificially induced decidualized uteri, and in decidualized endometrial stromal cells of rats, and it exerts an inhibitory effect on endometrial decidualization.