Objective To investigate the correlation between the glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),neuron-specific enolase(NSE),synaptoghysin (SYN),neurite outgrowth inhibitor-A(Nogo-A)expression and neurological outcome in tissue surrounding the infarct during the recovery after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods A 2-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)and reperfusion model in rats was induced by the intraluminal suture method.The modified neurological severity score(mNSS)was performed at day 28,35,42,and 49.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of GFAP,NSE,SYN,and Noga-A in tissue surrounding the infarct.Results The mNSS score decreased gradually over time after cerdnal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Except day 35(5.11±0.737)vs.day 42 (4.54±0.519),and day 42 vs.day 49(4.29±0.488),there were significant differences at all other time points(all P<0.05).The numbers of GFAP positive cells deergased gradually form day 28 to day 49,in which,the numbers of GFAP positive cells at day 42(51.00±13.59)vs.day 49(44.38±11.94) were significantly less than those at day 28(69.00±15.10)(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in the numbers of NSE positive cells at all time points,but their integrated optical density(IOD)increased gradually.There were significant differences between day 28(6 218.57±1 864.25)and day 42(9 414.00±2 491.12) or day 49(12 522.50±3 106.99),and between day 35(7 343.40±1 533.35)and day 49(all P< 0.05).There were no significant differences at all other time points.The SYN express (IOD)increased gradually.and it was significantly lower at day 49(66 503.00±12 834.61)than that at day 28(43 905.14±13 208.59)(P<0.05).The numbers of Nogo-A positive cells decreased gradually,and they were significantly less at day 49(42.13±14.45) than those at day 28(59.57±15.25)(P<0.05).The GFAP expression was positively correlated with the mNSS scores(r=0.993,P=0.007).The NSE(r=-0.954,P=0.044)and SYN(r=-0.992,P=0.008) expression was negatively correlated with the mNSS scores.Conclusion The neurological outcome was associated with the downregulation of GFAP expression and the upregalation of NSE and SYN expression during the recovery after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.