Background Many researchers suggest that adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is incapable of completing self-repair or regeneration. And there are accumulating lines of evidence which suggest that endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) are activated in many pathological conditions, including stroke in the past decades, which might partly account for rehabilitation afterwards. In this study, we investigated whether there was endogenous neural stem cell activation in intracerebral hemorrhagic (ICH) rat brains.Methods After ICH induction by stereotactical injection of collagenase type Ⅶ into globus pallidus, 5-Bromo-2 Deoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered intraperitoneally to label newb cells. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect Nestin, a marker for neural stem cells, and BrdU.Results Nestin-positive or BrdU-Labeled cells were predominantly located at 2 sites: basal ganglion around hemotoma, ependyma and nearby subventricular zone (SVZ). No positive cells for the 2 markers were found in the 2 sites of normal control group and sham group, as well as in non-leisoned parenchyma, both hippocampi and olfactory bulbs in the 4 groups. Nestin+ cells presented 4 types of morphology, and BrdU+ nucleus were polymorphologic. Postive cell counting around hemotoma showed that at day 2, Nestin+ cells were seen around hemotoma in model group , the number of which increased at day 4, day 7(P＜0.01), peaked at day 14(P＜0.05), and reduced significantly by day 28(P＜0.01).Conclusion Endogenous neural stem cells were activated in experimental intracerebral hemorrhagic rat brains.