AIM: To investigate the protective effects of the total paeony glycoside(TPG) on the focal cerebral ischemia and regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) in rats. METHOD: The rat model of focal cerebral ischemia was made by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) with nylon suture.TPG was injected into every group rats once a day before 48 h,and injected before MCAO 30 min and after 4 h,12 h.After 24 h the effects of the drug were studied about neurological deficit,the water content of brain tissue,the cerebral infarcted zone,under microscopic examination,as well as rCBF on each rat with laser Doppler fiowmeter(LDF). RESULTS: The sympton of brain ischemia was obvious in model rats by contrast to the sham rats,and the model rats rCBF decreased markedly after MCAO.50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg TPG injection could obviously promote neurological deficit,decrease the water content of brain tissue and the cerebral infarcted zone.And the pathological slices also proved its protective effect on neuron.The laser Doppler flowmeter detected result indicated that 100 mg/kg TPG inject could greatly increase MCAO rats rCBF. CONCLUSIONS: TPG injection has a marked prospective activity on rat focal brain ischemia in rats,and the increase of rCBF may be one of the protection mechanism.