OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of overhealing alleviation by salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) in wound healing. METHODS: Fibroblasts were cultured in vitro, and SM was applied with different concentrations (40, 80, 160 and 320 micrograms/ml) and time(the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th days) to influence their autocrine. The levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were determined by ELIAS and radioimmunoassay respectively. RESULTS: The SM could inhibit autocrine of TGF-β1 by fibroblasts (P lt; 0.05). However, it did not affect autocrine of EGF (P gt; 0.05). CONCLUSION: The above results indicate that SM reduces overhealing by inhibiting the autocrine of TGF-β1 selectively.