Aim To observe the effect of Qidan liquid on the basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) of abdominal aorta in experimental artherosclerotic rabbits.Methods Twenty-four white,four months old,male,New Zealand rabbits whose weights were from 2.4 kg to 2.9 kg were divided into four groups at random: normal group,model group,Qidan liquid group and nifedipine group.Rabbits of normal group were fed with common rabbit forage,the rabbits of Qidan liquid group were fed with Qidan liquid(3 kg/L).A rabbit was fed 20 mL everyday.The rabbits of nifedipine group were fed with nifedipine(40 mg everyday to each rabbit).After twelve weeks,after the rabbits were put to death by exsanguinate,thoracic aorta and abdomial aorta were took out and kept in 10% neutralizing formaldehyde stabilization liquid,for the inspection of HE staining and for the detection of bFGF by immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with model group ,the expression of bFGF in Qidan liquid group was decreased remarkably(p<0.01).Compared with nifdepine group,the expression of bFGF was decreased sharply in Qidan liquid group(p<0.05).Compared with model group,the degree of atherosclerotic lesion in aorta was reduced in Qidan liquid group.Conclusion Inhibiting the expression of bFGF in abdominal aorta is probably the mechanism of Qidan liquid in anti-artherosclerosis.