Objective To observe the effect of adenosine preconditioning on the expression of tumor necrosis factor α（TNF-α）and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)in rats after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(IR) injury,and to explore the protective mechanism of adenosine on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.   Methods Total sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (F group),ischemia-reperfusion group (IR group) and adenosine preconditioning ischemia-reperfusion group (AP group). Each group was randomly divided into 5 mice at 2 hour, 6 hour, 24 hour and 48 hour after ischemia-reperfusion. The rat moadel of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established by suppository method . 48 hours after ischemia-reperfusion, line head MRI, HE staining and for more than of 60 neursl function defect scale in rats，integral optical density of the software system by immunohistochemical method  in the observation group rats TNF-α and NF-κB average absorbance values of rats’brain tissues to further verify the adenosine preconditioning on rat cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury，adenosine on rat focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury of protection mechanism.  Results No signs of neurological defects was found in the rats in F after surgery, and obvious signs of neurological defects were found in the rats of AP and IR groups.The neurological defect scores of the AP group and the IR group were significantly higher than those of the F group, and the neurological defect scores of the AP group were significantly lower than those of the IR group, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Postoperative MRI images of T1WI and T2WI of rats in group F showed no obvious abnormalities. The cerebral infarction volume of rats in the AP group and the IR group was significantly higher than those of the F group, and the cerebral infarction volume of rats in the AP group was significantly lower than those of the IR group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The expressions of TNF-α and NF-κB in the brain tissues of the AP group and the IR group were significantly higher than those of the F group, and the expressions of TNF-α and NF-κB in the brain tissues of the AP group was significantly lower than those of the IR group, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).   Conclusion Adenosine preconditioning can protect the brain by descreasing the expression of TNF-α and NF-κB in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.