Abstract: OBJECTIVE To preliminary explore the efficacy and possible mechanism of Yinxing Yangnao Tablets in the treatment of vascular dementia.METHODS A rat model of vascular dementia with bilateral carotid artery ligation was constructed.Yinxing Yangnao Tablets 0.07,0.135,0.27 g·kg^-1 and piracetam tablets 0.4 g·kg^-1 were given 14 d after the operation.After 14 d of continuous gavage,morris water maze tested,then serum and brain tissue collected to detect serum inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β concentration,and the pathological structure of hippocampus observed by HE and Nissl staining.BV2 cells were used to construct an LPS stimulation model,and Yinxing Yangnao Tablets were given different doses of 0.5,1,2 mg·kg^-1 to detect the release of inflammation-related factors NO,IL-6 and TNF-α in the cell supernatant,and collect cell protein detection iNOS,NF-κB p65,p-NF-κB p65,IκB-α,p-IκB-α,NLRP3,caspase-1 inflammation-related protein expression changes,immunofluorescence detection of cell iNOS,NLRP3 expression.RESULTS The results of the morris water maze indicated that the rats with vascular dementia had obvious memory impairment,and the Yinxing Yangnao Tablets administration group could effectively improve the memory impairment and also reduce the serum inflammation level in the rats with vascular dementia.At the same time,Yinxing Yangnao Tablets intervention could reduce the release of inflammatory factors after LPS stimulation on BV2 cells,inhibit the increase of NF-κB p65 and IκBα phosphorylation protein,and inhibit the activation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway downstream of NF-κB,effectively acting as an anti-inflammatory agent.CONCLUSION Yinxing Yangnao Tablets can effectively improve the memory impairment of rats with vascular dementia,and may have anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting inflammation-related NF-κB/NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway.