Objectives      To determine the effect of Tonifying Qi Nourishing Kidney Mixture on the level of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）and cytokine interleukin-1β（IL-1β） in the peripheral blood and on morphological changes of alveolar bone during experimental periodontitis.     Methods      Eighty 5-months-old Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups at random. The rats of Group N was killed at the beginning of the experiment and used as the normal control. And the animals of Group A

B1

B2 and B3 were inflicted to be periodontitis models by ligating dental cervix with steel wire

high-glucose feeding and topical hormone treatemnt. The rats in group A were killed at the end of periodontitis establishment to assess the features of the model. The rats fo Group B1

B2 and B3 received an intragastrical injection of the mixture at 20

10 and 5 g/(kg·d) respectively for 12 weeks and then were killed after general evaluation and blood sampling. The levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the peripheral blood were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Morphological changes of alveolar bone was observed by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT).     Results      The levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in treated group B1 (4.909±0.505 and 0.318±0.086) and group B2（4.085±0.374 and 0.266±0.062）were significantly lower than those in the control group A (4.909±0.505 and 0.318±0.086

P0.01）. At the same time

trabecular number and trabecular separateion in the experimental group B1 (1.95±0.34 and 362.3±62.7）and group B2（1.88±0.39 and 396.2±58.2）were significantly better than those in the control group A (1.24±0.22 and 789.3±157.0

P0.01).     Conclusion      Tonifying Qi Nourishing Kidney Mixture reduces the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the peripheral blood

and enhances the density of alveolar bone

thus exerting therapeutic effect on periodontitis.