Objective To study the possible mechanism of Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction（白虎加人参汤） treating type 2 diabets. Method Totally 28 SD rats were divided into four groups

blank group（treated with aseptic ultrapure water）

Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction group（concentration 2 g/ml）

metformin group（concentration 21. 5 mg/ml）

and Jingui Shenqi Pills group（concentration 0. 215 g/ml）

7 rats in each group. All rats were treated with gastric perfusion 33. 48 ml/kg for continuous five days. Drug-containing plasma was prepared by taking blood sample under abdominal aorta anaesthesia after the last perfusion. Isletoman B cell strain INS-1 were divided into five groups

normal group

model group

Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction containing plasma group

metformin containing plasma group

Jingui Shenqi Pill and containing plasma group

3 wells for each group. All groups but normal group were treated with high-concentration glucose（33. 3 mmol/L） to process cells and build high-glucose injury model. The normal group and model group were cultured normally

and other groups were cultured with 5% corresponding drug containing plasma for 24 h. INS-1 cell proliferation

apoptosis rate

intracellular active oxygen species（ROS） level and total antioxidant capacity（T-AOC）

super-oxide dismutase（SOD） level were compared. Insulin release level of all groups under basic and high glucose stimulation was observed. Result Compared with the normal group

the proliferation activity of the model group was significantly inhibited

the apoptotic rate and ROS increased significantly

the content of SOD and T-AOC were decreased

insulin secretion under basic or high glucose stimulation decreased significantly compared with the model group

all drug-containing plasma treated group showed cell proliferation OD increase

appotosis rate decrease

ROS level decrease

SOD and T-AOC activity increase and insulin secretion level increase under basic or high glucose stimulation（P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01）. The improvement of melformin containing group and Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction containing group was better than that of the Jingui Shenqi Pill containing group

while the improvement of Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction containing group and melformin containing group was quite（P > 0. 05）. Conclusion Baihu and Renshen Decoction markedly improve high-glucose induced INS-1 cell injury and apoptosis

improving insulin secretion

and the action might be related to increasing INS-1 cell antioxide capacity and reducing intracellular ROS level.