Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of Yiqi Yangyin Recipe on diabetic intracerebral microlesions in rats. Methods The model of diabetic intracerebral microlesions in rats was established. The animals were divided into normal control group, high glucose injury group, aspirin control group and traditional Chinese medicine group. The changes of intracerebral microlesions in rats were detected by biochemistry and flow cytometry (PI), and the changes of HIF-1α were detected by Realtime PCR and Western blot. Results The results of glycated hemoglobin and flow cytometry showed that compared with the high glucose injury group, the glycated hemoglobin and apoptotic rate of aspirin group and traditional Chinese medicine group decreased, and there was significant difference among the groups(P<0.05). Compared with aspirin group, the expression of glycosylated hemoglobin in traditional Chinese medicine group increased(P<0.05). Compared with aspirin group, the early apoptotic rate of Chinese herbal medicine group increased, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05); the late apoptotic rate of Chinese herbal medicine group increased with statistical significance(P<0.05); compared with aspirin group, the expression of HIF-1α in Chinese herbal medicine group increased(P<0.05). Realtime PCR and Western blot showed that the expression of HIF-1α in aspirin, traditional Chinese medicine and HIF-1α decreased compared with the high-glucose injury group(P<0.05), and there were significant differences among the groups(P<0.05). Compared with aspirin group, the expression of HIF-1α in traditional Chinese medicine group increased (P<0.05). Conclusion Yiqi Yangyin Recipe has a certain effect on the treatment of diabetic encephalopathy. It can reduce the absorbance of glycosylated hemoglobin, the apoptotic rate of brain neurons and the expression of HIF-1alpha. The therapeutic effect of aspirin is different from that of aspirin.