Abstract: OBJECTIVE To study the effects of oleanolic acid (OA) on brain damage after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and to explore its potential mechanism. METHODS Thirty-nine rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group and oleanolic acid treatment group (OA group, 20 mg·kg^-1), each group of 13. Weight measurement, neurological function score, and Evans blue method to detect the permeability of blood-brain barrier were used for each group, separately. Then the protein expression of NF-κB, p65 and ICAM-1 in the cerebral cortex of rats were detected by Western blot. RESULTS Compared with the model group, the body weight and neurological score were improved, the Evans blue rate and the level of NF-κB/ICAM-1 signaling pathway were reduced in the OA group, significantly(P<0.01 or P<0.05). CONCLUSION OA could attenuate early brain injury in SAH rats by decreasing the inflammatory cytokines of Akt/NF-κB/ICAM-1 signaling pathway.