Objective To discuss the potential mechanism of modified Xiaoxianxiong Tang（ 小陷胸汤） in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease（ NAFLD）. Methods Sixty Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into blank group

model group

Western medicine group and high

medium

low dose Chinese medicine groups

with 10 rats in each group. The rats were given high fat diet for 12 weeks to build NAFLD model except those in the blank group.After model building

the high

medium and low dose Chinese medicine groups were respectively given 1. 5

1. 0 and0. 5 ml/（ 100 g·d） of modified Xiaoxianxiong Tang by gavage

the Western medicine group was administered 3 ml/d of Polyene Phosphatidylcholine（ PPC） Capsule solution by gavage

and the blank group and the model group were respectively given normal saline of the same volume by gavage. After 5-week drug administration

the liver tissue was taken out to be stained by HE staining

while the expression of Caspase-12 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western-Blot. Results The hepatocytes in the model group showed obvious steatosis and inflammation compared with those in the blank group

while the degree of steatosis and inflammation in each Chinese medicine group was significantly less than that in the model group and the Western medicine group. The expressions of Caspase-12 protein in each Chinese medicine group and Western medicine group were significantly lower than that in the model group（ P < 0. 05）

while the Caspese-12 expression in the high dose Chinese medicine group was significantly lower than that in Western medicine group and medium and low dose Chinese medicine groups（ P < 0. 05）. Conclusion Modified Xiaoxianxiong Tang could obviously delay the liver damage in NAFLD rats

and it may concern the expression of Caspase-12 protein in liver tissue.