Objective To study the possible mechanism of blood-activating drug [Danggui（ Angelicaesenensis Radix 当归） and Chuanxiong（ Ligusticum Wallichii 川芎） ]and stasis-breaking drug [Sanleng（ Rhizoma Sparganii 三棱） and Ezhu（ Curcuma Zedoary 莪术） ]in improving atherosclerosis. Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into a blank group

a model group

a statin group

a blood-activating group

and a stasis-breaking group. There were8 rats in the blank group

and 13 rats in each of the other groups. Rat model of atherosclerosis was established with high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection with vitamin D3. After successfully modeling

10 ml /（ kg·d） of boiled water was given to rats in the blank group and the model group

and 1. 8 g /（ kg·d） of decoction of Danggui and Chuanxiong

decoction of Sanleng and Ezhu

or atorvastatin calcium were given to the rats in the blood-activating group

the stasis-breaking group and the statin group

respectively

once a day

for four weeks. Pathological changes of aortic tissue was observed under light microscope. Expression of cytochrome C（ Cyt-C） and the apoptosis inducing factor（ AIF） protein in aortic tissue were detected with immunohistochemical method

and the expression of cysteine aspartic protease 3（ Caspase-3） mRNA in aortic tissue was detected using in-situ hybridization method. Results Compared with the model group

atherosclerosis of aortic tissue relieved in varying degrees in the statin group

the blood-activating group and the stasis-breaking group

especially in the statin group and the stasis-breaking group.Compared with the blank group

the expression of Cyt-C

AIF protein and Caspase-3 mRNA of aortic tissue increased significantly in the model group（ P < 0. 05

P < 0. 01）; Compared with the model group

the expression of Cyt-C

AIF protein

and Caspase-3 mRNA in aortic tissue decreased in the statin group and the stasis-breaking group

and the expression of Cyt-C and Caspase-3 mRNA decreased in the blood-activating group（ P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01）; The expression of Caspase-3 mRNA in aortic tissue in the stasis-breaking group was lower than that in the blood-activating group（ P < 0. 05）. Conclusion Both blood-activating drug and stasis-breaking drug can improve atherosclerosis

and the effect of stasis-breaking drug is better than that of blood-activating drug; Blood-activating drug may inhibit the expression of Cyt-C and reduce the level of Caspase-3 mRNA to resist atherosclerosis. On this basis

stasis-breaking drug also may reduce the expression of apoptosis inducing factor AIF to resist atherosclerosis.