Objective: To observe the effect of Danshen injection on promoting the recovery of spinal nerve function in rats after spinal cord injury (SCI) and investigate its action mechanism. Method: Fifty SPF SD rats were divided into five groups randomly: normal control group

injury group

treatment group

inhibition group and blank control group (n=10 in each group). All the rats except those in inormal control group received modified Allen's method to establish SCI models. The rats in njury group were fed routinely after injury; Danshen injection (1 mL·kg-1) was intraperitoneally injected 1 h after injury in treatment group; Danshen injection(1 mL·kg-1

including rapamycin 3 mg·kg-1) was intraperitoneally injected 1 h after injury in inhibition group; and normal saline (1 mL·kg-1) was intraperitoneally injected into the rats in blank control group after injury

once a day respectively. The rats in all groups were killed on 14 d

and the combine behavioral scores (CBS) of rats in all groups were detected before being killed to evaluate the recovery of spinal nerve function; and then the spinal cord tissues 1 cm above and below the injured segments were taken. Immunohistochemical SP method

Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used respectively to detect PI3K

Akt and mTOR protein and mRNA expression levels. Result: After treatment

the motor function of posterior limbs (CBS score) in treatment group was better than that in injury group

inhibition group and blank control group (P<0.05); PI3K

Akt and mTOR mRNA expression levels

immunoreactive cells count and relative expression levels in treatment group were also significantly higher than those in other groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Danshen injection could promote the recovery of nerve function after SCI probably by elevating the activity of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling-pathway.