Objective To investigate the effects of salvianolate on noradrenaline(NE), angiotension-Ⅱ(Ang-Ⅱ)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in rats with congestive heart failure. Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, the normal control group(NCG), the model group, the captopril group(CAG), the low dosage of salvianolate group(LSG), the high dosage of salvianolate group(HSG), the captopril and high doseage of salvianolate group(CSG). The rats of Congestive Heart Failure were established with peritoneal injection of adriamycin except the rats in normal control group. The rats in normal control group were injected with the equal volume of normal saline once per week for 6 weeks. The medication was started in every group at the same time. Eight weeks later, the Left Ventricular Systolic Pressure(LVSP), Left Ventricular End-diastolic Pressure(LVDP), +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmax were measured. The serum levels of NE, Ang-Ⅱ and TNF-αwere measured. Protein expressions of Ang-Ⅱ and TNF-αin cardiac muscle were detected by Western blot. Results Compared with the model group[(90.77±14.75)mmHg, (22.52±2.58)mmHg, (3 290.16± 109.61)mmHg/s, (3 114.07±112.39)mmHg/s], HSG[(114.10±13.71)mmHg, (19.97±1.14)mmHg, (3 504.97 ± 163.94)mmHg/s, (3 303.02 ± 121.98)mmHg/s ] and CSG [ (141.18 ± 15.42)mmHg, (15.58 ± 1.46)mmHg, (3 766.56±159.93)mmHg/s, (3 566.70±154.57)mmHg/s]had significant difference in LVSP, LVDP, +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmax(P<0.05 or 0.01). Compared with the model group[(85.06±9.07)ng/ml, (180.11±25.45)pg/ml, (205.80±15.73)pg/ml], the serum levels of NE, Ang-Ⅱand TNF-αwere decreased in groups of HSG[(75.33±8.60)ng/ml, (149.21±25.39)pg/ml, (188.84±13.79)pg/ml], CAG[(71.49± 6.21)ng/ml, (139.15 ± 24.83)pg/ml, (183.73 ± 10.99)pg/ml ] and CSG [ (60.02 ± 7.38)ng/m, (110.68 ± 28.63)pg/ml, (165.93±16.22)pg/ml]in different degree(P<0.05 or 0.01), those of CSG were significantly lower than CAG(P<0.05). Compared with the model group[(1.043±0.044), (1.167±0.048)], the expression of protein in Ang-Ⅱand TNF-α were decreased in groups of HSG[(0.981±0.024), (1.069±0.055)]CAG [(0.954±0.031), (1.046±0.053)]and CSG[(0.886±0.044), (0.955±0.038)]in different degree(P<0.05 or 0.01), those of CSG were significantly lower than CAG(P<0.05). Conclusion Salvianolate can reduce the serum levels of NE, Ang-Ⅱand TNF-αin rats with congestive heart failure, decrease the expression of Ang-Ⅱand TNF-αin its cardiac muscle, improve the cardiac function.