The influence of mycorrhizal fungi in uptake of heavy metals, pollution response index and yield of sunflower in degraded soils were investigated. It was a greenhouse experiment with 2 arbuscular mycorrhizae (Glomus mosseae, Glomus intraradices) and a non-inoculation that served as control. The treatments were replicated 3 times in a completely randomized design. Each of the treatment consisted of 30 pots and each pot was filled with 5 kg by weight of dried top soil. Solutions of lead acetate and cadmium sulphate at variable levels of: 0, 250, 500, 750, 1000 mg kg^-1 and 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 mg kg^-1 respectively were used to pollute the soils. Increase in pollution-stressed conditions significantly (P<0.05) reduced the infection of sunflower roots, and the uptake of Pb and Cd in the dry root of sunflower was also significantly (P<0.05) reduced. Also, arbuscular mycorrhizae enhanced the root infection of sunflower, increased the pollution tolerance and consequently increased the yield of sunflower.