Objective To investigate the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the neural cells and expression of early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1 gene) in the hippocampus discharge zone of childhood intractable epileptics. Methods Acutely dissociated cell suspensions of childhood hippocampus discharge zone with non specific pathological changes (n = 16) were exposed to NGF group and control group respectively. There were three subgroups exposed to NGF at the levels of 12.5, 50, 100 ng/ml in NGF group. After 4 hr culturing, the astrocytes and neurons were lablled by Bb immunostain with the specific markers such as GFAP and MAP2. The total number of neural cells was counted under inversion fluorescence microscope and the Egr-1mRNA expression was detected by semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis. Results There were significant differences of the numbers of neural cells survived in hippoeampus region between the NGF group and the non-added NGF group (P < 0.01). Among the different levels of NGF 12.5, 50, 100 ng/ml, the number of the total cultural neurons and GFAP(+) astrocytes, MAP_2(+) neurons were increased with ascending levels of NGF (P < 0.05). At the same time, the expression of Egr-1mRNA (A_(Egr-1)/A_(β-actin)) in the NGF groups was also increased (P < 0.01). There was positive correlation between the number of the survivable neural cells and Egr-1mRNA quantity (r = 0.780, P < 0.01) among the three NGF groups. Conclusions NGF can protect the neural cells of epileptic discharge zone by promoting the expression of Egr-1 gene.