Objective:To explore the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza on diabetic retinopathy(DR).Methods:Diabetic mice of natural incidence type with monogenic inheritance were selected.Alloxan was injected into the caudal vein of mice once to induceDR.The structural changes of retina tissue in normal mice,DR mice and mice with high, medium and low dose ofSalvia miltiorrhiza injection were observed under microscope.Then the blood glucose concentration and malonaldehyde(MDA) content were detected.Results:There were some microaneurysms in retina ofDR group, number of gangliocyte was decreased significantly, and cells were sparse and in disorder.After modeling, the blood glucose level of high-dose Salvia miltiorrhiza group(SMⅢ group) was significantly different fromDR group(P<0.01).Till the tenth week, the blood glucose level of allSM groups was decreased significantly compared withDR group(P<0.01).The effective rates of threeSM groups were93.8%,76.4% and50.3%, respectively.After ten weeks,MDA content ofDR group was significantly higher than those of the normal control group andSM group(P<0.01), and medium and low doseSM groups had significantly higherMDA than that of normal control group(P<0.01). Conclusions:Salvia miltiorrhiza had certain protective effect onDRmice through the blood-ocular barrier.