Abstract： Objective： To discuss the effect of compound Xiaoyao powder of Chinese medicine and antidepressant， namely fluoxetine(fluoxetine hydrochloride) on intervening expression of HSPA1A gene in hippocampus tissue of rats with chronic stress respectively， and compare the intervention effect of the two applications above. Methods： A total of 120 Wistar rats of SPF level were randomly divided into the blank group，the model group，the Xiaoyao powder group，and the fluoxetine group. Except for the blank group， in the other groups， chronic stress stimulation was imposed upon rats by applying electric foot-shock，swimming in ice water，fasting for one day，water deprivation for one day，restraint for four hours，and other stressors. The blank group and the model group were given gastric perfusion of normal saline at a dose of 10 mL/(kg · d). The fluoxetine group and the Xiaoyao powder group were given gastric perfusion of fluoxetine and Xiaoyao powder respectively at a dose of 10 mL/(kg·d). On the 21st，28th，and 35th day of model preparation，the modeling effect was evaluated. On the 21st，28th，and 35th day of experiment，the expression of mRNA of HSPA1A in hippocampus tissue of rats were detected by fluorescent quantitative PCR. Results：On the 21st，28th，and 35th day of modelling，when compared with those in the black group，body mass in the model group was significantly reduced(P＜0.01)；the scores of horizontal motion and vertical motion were decreased(P＜0.05，P＜0.01)；the corticosterone content in serum was increased(P＜0.05， P＜0.01)； the relative expression quantity of mRNA of HSPA1A in hippocampus tissue was decreased(P＜0.01). When compared with those in the model group，body mass in the Xiaoyao powder group and the fluoxetine group was increased on the 21st day of modelling(P＜0.05，P＜0.01)；the scores of horizontal motion in the Xiaoyao powder group were increased on the 21st，28th，and 35th day of modelling(P＜0.05，P＜0.01)；the scores of vertical motion in the Xiaoyao powder group and the fluoxetine group were increased on the 21st and 35th day of modelling(P＜0.05)；the corticosterone content in serum in the Xiaoyao powder group and the fluoxetine group was decreased on the 21st， 28th， and 35th day of modelling(P＜0.05， P＜ 0.01)； the relative expression quantity of mRNA of HSPA1A in hippocampus tissue was increased in the Xiaoyao powder group on the 21st day of modelling(P＜0.01)，as well as in the fluoxetine group on the 35th day of modelling. On the 35th day of modelling， when compared with that in the fluoxetine group， the score of horizontal motion in the Xiaoyao powder group was higher(P＜0.01)， and the relative expression quantity of mRNA of HSPA1A was lower(P＜0.01). Conclusion： Xiaoyao powder had regulatory effect on decrease of expression of mRNA of HSPA1A induced by chronic stress，which was gradually weakened as time went by. Fluoxetine had intervention effect on down-regulation of mRNA expression of HSPA1A induced by chronic stress；it was on the 35th day of experiment that the intervention effect became significant. From the two findings above，it is illustrated that the curative effect of compound prescription of Chinese medicine has chronergy，which means that prescriptions and medicine should be regulated in time with changes in syndromes. Based on the fact that antidepressants take effect more slowly，integrated Chinese and western medicine therapy is taken into consideration in the clinical treatment of diseases and syndromes related to chronic stress，which probably obtains more ideal curative effect.