Aim To explore the role and mechanism of different concentrations of resveratrol in the neurological function and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) of cerebrally injured rats with ischemia-reperfusion. Methods The 150 healthy adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups:sham operation group, model group, low dose resveratrol (2.5 mg/kg) group, middle dose resveratrol (5 mg/kg) group, high dose resveratrol (10 mg/kg) group, 30 rats for each group. Model group and resveratrol group were given with normal saline or different concentrations of resveratrol by intraperitoneal injection 20 minutes before the reperfusion. The nerve function defect scores were evaluated 6 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days of time after the operation. The cerebral infarction focus volume was calculated and the difference among the five groups was compared after TTC staining of brain tissues; the TNF-α was tested around the area of ischemia brain tissues by immunohistochemistry, and the differences was compared among the five groups. Results (1) Comparison of neurological deficit scores:the intervention of different concentrations of resveratrol has significantly improved the neurological deficit of rats, meanwhile, the higher the dose of resveratrol was, the more obvious the improvement of rats' neurological deficit has got, and it was in a dose-dependent manner. (2) Comparison of cerebral infarction focus volumes:the intervention of different concentrations of resveratrol has significantly reduced the cerebral infarction volumes of rats in different groups (P<0.05), and the higher the dose of resveratrol was, the larger the volume of reduced cerebral infarction was, and it was in a dose-dependent manner. (3) Comparison of immunohistochemistry of tissues surrounding the cerebral ischemia areas:at different hours, the numbers of TNF-α positive cells in the brain tissues surrounding the rats' cerebral ischemia area were:model group> low dose resveratrol group> middle dose resveratrol group> high dose resveratrol group> sham operation group (P<0.05), and the higher the dose of resveratrol was, the smaller the number of TNF-α positive cells were (P<0.05), which was in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions (1) In the process of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, resveratrol can reduce cerebral infarction volume and improve neurological deficit scores in a dose-dependent manner. It can also inhibit the expression of TNF-α through some kind of mechanism. (2) The protective effects of resveratrol on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury was dose-related, and showed a significant dose-dependent manner.