OBJECTIVE： To discuss the effect of early usage with Wulingjun powder on the behavior of rats with post-traumatic stress disorder （PTSD） and the level of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-6 in their hippocampi. METHODS： 50 SD rats were randomized into control group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， positive control group （paroxetine， 10 mg/kg） and the groups of low and high-dose （0.4， 0.8 g/kg） Wulingjun powder. The rats in all groups except for control group， were exposed to single prolonged stress for the establishment of PTSD models. Corresponding drugs were given ig immediately after such establishment， qd， for 7 consecutive days. An open field test （the times of the rats’ entering the central area and the percentage of the time the rats spent in exploring the central area within 10 min were recorded） was conducted 7 days after giving drugs； and an elevated plus-maze test （the times of the rats’ in opening arms and the percentage of the time the rats spent in opening arms within 5 min were recorded） was carried out 8 days thereafter， to observe the behavior of the rats. Then the rats were sacrificed to determine the level of IL-1β and IL-6 in their hippocampi by ELISA. RESULTS： Compared to the normal group， the behavioral index of the rats in model group was significantly lower， and the level of IL-1β and IL-6 in their hippocampi was significantly higher （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to model group， the behavioral index of the rats in positive control group and the group of high-dose Wulingjun powder was significantly higher， and the level of IL-1β and IL-6 in their hippocampi was significantly lower （P＜0.05）， but no statistically significant difference was shown in all indexes in the group of low-dose Wulingjun powder （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS： High-dose Wulingjun power can improve the anxiety-like behavior of the rats with PTSD， which may be related to the reduction in the level of IL-1β and IL-6 in the hippocampus.