OBJECTIVE： To study the effect of alcohol extract of Toddalia asiatica on the inflammation-associated cytokines of model rats with adjuvant arthritis （AA）. METHODS： 70 SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group， a model control group， a positive control chemical medicine group （Leflunomide tablets， 0.012 g/kg）， a positive control TCM group （Tripterygium glycosides tablets， 0.012 g/kg） and the groups of low， medium and high-dose [1， 4， 6 g（crude drug）/kg] alcohol extract of T. asiatica， with 10 rats in each group. The rats in all groups except for the normal control group were given complete Freund’s complete adjuvant id for the establishment of AA models. At the same time， the rats in the drug administration groups were given corresponding drugs ig， while those in the normal control group and the model control group were given isometric normal saline ig， twice a day， for 28 consecutive days. The degree of toe swelling， arthritis index and the levels of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α） and prostaglandin E2 （PGE2） in serum and synovial membranes of all groups of rats were determined. RESULTS： Compared to the normal control group， the model control group demonstrated higher degree of primary and secondary toe swelling， arthritis index and levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α and PGE2 in serum and joint synovial membrane， and lower level of IL-10 therein （P＜0.01）. Compared to the model control group， all the above-mentioned indexes of the rats in drug administration groups significantly improved （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS： The alcohol extract of T. asiatica. has a preventive and therapeutic effect on the model rats with AA by regulating the expression of anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory cytokines in serum and synovial membrane.