The rat models of cirrhosis were induced by carbon tetrachoride （CCl₄） combined with ethanol complex method.A total of 36 cirrhosis rats were randomly divided into model group， low dose of calycosin group （5 mg·kg^－1） and high dose of calycosin group （20 mg·kg^－1）， with 12 rats in each group，and another 12 SD rats were used as control group.The rats in low and high dose calycosin groups were given corresponding drugs by gavage，and the rats in control group and model group were given equal amount of saline by gavage，once a day， for consecutive 4 weeks. The activities of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in serum of the rats in various groups were determined by biochemistry method， HE staining was used to observe the pathomorphology of liver and ileum tissues of the rats in various groups.The levels of D-lactic acid （D-LA）， diamine oxidase （DAO） and endotoxin （ET） in serum and the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in ileum tissue were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， nuclear factor kappa B p65 （NF-κB p65） and NF-κB inhibitor α （IκBα） proteins in ileum tissue of the rats in various groups were detected by Western blotting method.

Compared with control group， severe damage to the liver and ileum tissue in model group was revealed， the activities ALT， AST and the levels of D-LA， DAO and ET in serum were significantly increased （P<0.05）， the levels of IL-1β， TNF-α and IL-6 and the expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 proteins in ileum tissue were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the expression level of IκBα protein was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with model group， the damage of liver and ileum tissue of the rats in high dose of calycosin group was significantly improved， the activities of ALT， AST and the levels of D-LA， DAO and ET in serum were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， the levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， IL-6 and the expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 proteins in ileum tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the expression level of IκBα protein was significantly increased （P<0.05）；compared with model group， there were no statistical differences in the above indexes in low dose of calycosin group（P>0.05）. Compared with low dose of calycosin group， the damage of liver and ileum tissue of the rats in high dose of calycosin group was significantly improved， the activities of ALT， AST and the levels of D-LA， DAO and ET in serum were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， the levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， IL-6 and the expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 proteins in ileum tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and the expression level of IκBα protein was significantly increased （P<0.05）.

Calycosin can improve the damage of intestinal mucosal barrier in the cirrhosis rats， and its mechanism may be related to inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.