【Abstract】Objective To investigate the protective effect of exogenous cardiotrophin-1(CT-1) on spinal cord injury and analyze the mRNA expression of CT-1 and its receptor. Methods: 90 male rats weight between 200 to 250g were randomly divided into 3 groups. The rats were crashed by Allen’s Weight-dropping Model. The different groups were treated by intraspinal injection of NS(normal saline), NGF, Recombinant human CT-1 (rhCT-1, 100 μg/kg/d),the survival rate and the number of nissl bodies of neurons were compared in HE and Nissl staining after damage 3d, 1w, 2w. Another 60 rats which were denervated for 1w, 4w, 12w by the same model in tow groups were taken to compare wet weight and total protein of surae triceps. Fluorescent quantitative PCR is available to conclude the mRNA expression of CT-1 and its receptor with 90 male rats that is composed by different time of sample in the same model. Results: All Section staining were observed by microscope in 200 magnified times. There is no obvious significant differences in the number of neurons and nissl bodies in CT-1 and NGF group upon HE or Nissl sections (P<0.05), but both were distinctly more than placebo group. The wet weight and total protein of surae triceps in CT-1 group is higher than placebo in 4w and 12w. The mRNA expression of CT-1 reduces progressively along with the duration of denervation after a transient increase. The mRNA expression of its receptors were appropriate increase. Conclusion: As an active cytokines that widely expressed in myocardial cell. Ct-1 also plays the part of potential protector in spinal cord injury.