OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of caffeoylquinic acid derivative fractions (CADF) in Miao medicine Periploca forrestii on proliferation and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)-induced human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes MH7A, and explore its mechanism on anti-RA. METHODS: MH7A cells were divided into blank group, TNF-α model group, methotrexate group (positive control, 20 mg/L) and CADF different mass concentrations groups (50, 100, 200, 400 mg/L). Except for blank group, other groups received 50 μg/L of TNF-α to stimulate MH7A cells. After treated by suspension with TNF-α and related medicines for 24 h, the cell proliferation and contents of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) in culture medium were detected. RESULTS: Compared with blank group, cell proliferation activity in TNF-α model group was significantly enhanced (P<0.01), contents of NO, PGE2, IL-1β, IL-6 in culture medium were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with TNF-α model group, cell proliferation in each administration group were significantly inhibited (P<0.05 or P<0.01), contents of NO, PGE2, IL-1β, IL-6 in culture medium were significantly decreased (P<0.01), showing certain dose-effect relationship with CADF. CONCLUSIONS: CADF can play the role in anti-RA by inhibiting the TNF-α-induced proliferation of MH7A cells and reducing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines NO, PGE2, IL-1β, IL-6.