Objective To investigate the effect of visfatin on the NG2 cell number in the brain of normal rats and rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods Transient focal cerebral I/R model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and a monofilament suture via intraluminal approach in rats. Thirty adult male Wistar-Kyoto rats were randomly divided into four groups, namely, a sham operation group (Sham), a cerebral I/R model group(MCAO), Sham+FK866(a specific inhibitor of visfatin) group, and cerebral I/R+FK866 group. Animals in the latter two groups were intragastrically given FK866 (1 mg/[kg·d]) for a consecutive of 14 days; Sham operation or MCAO was performed at the 7^th day of FK866 treatment. The NG2 cells were observed by immunofluorescence staining in animal brains at the 7^th day after surgery. Results There was no significant difference in NG2 cell numbers between the Sham group and Sham + FK866 group. Cerebral I/R model group had significantly less NG2 cells in the core region of infarction(P<0.01) and significantly more in the penumbra area (P<0.01) compared with the Sham group, with no significant change in the contralateral side. The NG2 cell numbers were not significantly different between the cerebral I/R model group and cerebral I/R + FK866 group in the above mentioned areas. Conclusion Inhibition of visfatin shows no noticeable effect on NG2 cell number in the brains of normal and cerebral I/R rats, indicating that the neuroprotective effect of visfatin is not associated with NG2 cells.