To observe the effect of Zishen Xingnao Decoction on the learning and memory ability of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats and the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in hippocampus.Methods:In this experiment,β-amyloid (Aβ25-35) was injected into the lateral ventricle to induce AD in rats and the Zishen Jiannao Decoction was used for intervention.Morris water maze was employed to test the effect of Zishen Xingnao Decoction on the learning and memory ability and space exploration ability of AD rats.The expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in the CA1 area of rat hippocampus was determined with the immunohistochemical method.Results:In the Morris water maze test,the model group showed lower learning and memory ability than the sham operation group (P<0.05).According to the hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining result,the model group had severe injury of neuronal cells in the hippocampus,while the injury was milder in the Chinese medicine group and the positive control group than in the model group.The expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in the hippocampus of the model group increased (P<0.05) and that in the Chinese medicine group decreased (P<0.05).Conclusion:Zishen Xingnao Decoction can alleviate the damage of hippocampal neurons and improve the learning and memory ability of AD rats.The mechanism is the likelihood that it inhibits the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in the hippocampus.