Objective To investigate the effects of resveratrol (Res) on motor function and the anterior horn neuron of lumbar spinal cord after acute sciatic nerve compression injury in rats.Methods The rat model with acute sciatic nerve compression injury was established in 32 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats,which were randomly divided into four groups:Res group,Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) group,Normal Saline (NS) group and sham-operation group.Res,DMSO and saline were successively injected by intraperitoneal for 10 days after established crush acute sciatic nerve compression injury model,while sham-operation group was sutured only after exposure to the sciatic nerve.The weight,the change of toe extension angle,and the sciatic functional index (SFI) of rats were observed at the 1st day before operation and the 1st,3rd,7th,and 10th days after surgery.The expressions of neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and microtubule-associate protein 2 (MAP2) were detected by immunofluorescent staining of I4-L6 spinal cord anterior horn on the 10th day after surgery.Results No significant changes were found in the weight of rats among four groups.Compared to the sham,the motor function of the injured limb in Res,DMSO,and NS rats was impaired,and the anterior horn neurons were seriously damaged.But the differences of the change of toe extension and the sciatic functional index of rats were significantly higher in Res group than that of the DMSO group and NS group (P ＜ 0.01) at the 3rd,7th,and 10th days after surgery.The expressions of NeuN and MAP2 in the anterior horn of rat lumbar spinal cord were up-regulated in Res group relative to DMSO and NS,and the number of neurons in the lumbar spinal cord was significantly relieved at the 10th days.Conclusions Res was significant to rat model of acute sciatic nerve injury,which could increase the number of neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and help the recovery of motor function.