Objective To explore the influence of recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide(rhBNP)on the ventricular re-modeling and cardiac function of chronic heart failure rats.Methods Doxorubicin was injected for 2 weeks to obtain the chronic heart failure rats.Then different doses of rhBNP were injected for 4 weeks and objective indexes were recorded.Results The inde-xes were generally improved in the rats with rhBNP injection.The left ventricular absolute weight and left ventricular mass index obviously decreased in both middle and high dose group,but none difference was found between the two groups(P >0.05).The in-dexes of cardiac function of the high dose rhBNP group were improved most obviously,with the systolic pressure,diastolic pres-sure,left ventricular systolic pressure increasing and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure decreasing.right ventricular and diastolic stage decreased significenfly(P <0.05).The serum and myocardial levels of TNF-α/IL-10 generally decreased/increased in the rats after rhBNP treatment(P <0.05).Conclusion Long-term rhBNP treatment is likely to protect the ventricular remodeling and car-diac function and of chronic heart failure,which maybe relative to the positive regulation on inflammatory cytokine network of rhB-NP.