Objective To study the effects of medicated serum with total saponins from Rhizoma Dioscreae Nipponicae (RDN) on VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity in rat synovial cell strain RSC-364 induced by IL-17 and TNF-α. To investigate the mechanism about total saponin from RDN inhibition of angiogenesis. Methods Medicated serum of total saponins from RDN and tripterygium (positive control) were prepared. Rat synovial cells RSC-364 were divided into four groups: the blank control,IL-17+TNF-α model,tripterygium medicated serum,and total saponins medicated serum groups. After one hour of incubation,all groups except for the blank control were incubated with both IL-17(10 μg·L-1 ) and TNF-α(10 μg·L-1 ) for 24 hours. VEGF mRNA expression in RSC-364 was detected by PrimeScriptTM real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) detection kit,and the AP-1 DNA-binding activity was detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Results Compared with the control blank group,both of the VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity in rat synovial cell strain RSC-364 induced by IL-17 and TNF-α increased remarkably (P<0. 05,P<0.01). The VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity in tripterygium medicated serum group and total saponins medicated serum group were remarkably lower than those of the model control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two medicated serum groups. Conclusion Serum medicated with total saponins from RDN can remarkably decrease VEGF mRNA expression and AP-1 activity,indicating that the total saponins from RDN could influence VEGF secretion by inhibiting the AP-1 signal transduction pathway,VEGF is the key factor of angiogenesis,thereby to restrain angiogenesis.