Abstract: AIM：To investigate the serum level of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α and the effect of salvianolate in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) after stent implantation. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients undergoing stent implantation were divided randomly into conventional therapy group and salvianolate group. The levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were evaluated by ELISA before and 24 h and 1 week after stent implantation, and the levels of the above cytokins were compared with those in 18 normal controls. RESULTS: The levels of serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in patients with UAP were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). The levels of serum IL-8 and TNF-α decreased 24 h after stent implantation in salvianolate group (P<0.05), while the values of all the three cytokins significantly increased in the conventional therapy group (P<0.05). The levels of the three cytokins decreased in both the conventional therapy group (P<0.05）and the salvianolate group (P<0.01) 1 w after stent implantation. CONCLUSIONS: Salvianolate may inhibit the inflammation in coronary artery by decreasing the secretion of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, thus playing a protective role in patients with UAP after stent implantation.