OBJECTIVE: To probe into the protective mechanism of compound Danshen dripping pills on epilepsy model rats through JAK-STAT pathway.METHODS: The rat model of epilepsy was established

and all rats were randomly divided into the model group

the compound Danshen dropping pill group

tofacitinib（ JAK inhibitor） group and the compound Danshen dropping pill+tofacitinib group

with 12 rats in each group.Another 12 SD rats were selected as the control group.After grouping

the seizure frequency and duration were observed.HE staining was used to detect the pathological changes of hippocampal neurons in each group.Morris water maze test was used to detect the cognitive function of rats.The levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α（ TNF-α） and interleukin-6（ IL-6） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ ELISA）

and the expression of JAK/STAT3 pathway-related protein in brain tissue of rats in each group was detected by immunoblotting.RESULTS: Compared with the control group

the hippocampal neurons in the model group showed pathological injuries such as disordered arrangement

loosening and loss of normal structure

the cell body became triangular or irregular pattern

the cytoplasm was concentrated and deeply stained

the nucleus pyknosis

the nuclear membrane and nucleolus were not obvious

the cytoplasm showed vacuole-like changes

apoptosis and the number of cells decreased significantly.The seizure frequency

levels of serum TNF-α and IL-6

brain p-JAK/JAK and p-STAT3/STAT3 increased significantly

the duration and escape latency prolonged significantly

and the times of traversing the original platform position decreased significantly

with statistically significant difference（ P<0.05）.Compared with the model group

the pathological damage of hippocampal neurons in the compound Danshen dripping pill group

the tofacitinib group

the compound Danshen dripping pill+tofacitinib group reduced significantly

the seizure frequency

levels of serum TNF-α and IL-6

brain p-JAK/JAK and p-STAT3/STAT3 decreased significantly

the duration

escape latency shortened significantly

and the times of traversing the original platform position increased significantly

with statistically significant difference（ P < 0.05）

while there was no significant difference in escape latency between compound Danshen dripping pill group and the model group（ P>0.05）.Compared with the compound Danshen dropping pill group and the tofacitinib group

the pathological damage of hippocampal neurons in the compound Danshen dropping pill+tofacitinib group was further alleviated

the seizure frequency

levels of serum TNF-α and IL-6

brain p-JAK/JAK and p-STAT3/STAT3 decreased significantly

the duration shortened significantly

and the times of traversing the original platform position increased significantly

with statistically significant difference（ P < 0.05）.CONCLUSIONS: Compound Danshen dropping pill can improve the symptoms and protect the nerve function of epileptic model rats

which may be achieved by inhibiting the activation of JAK/STAT3 signal.