AIM To study the effect of polysaccharides from Opuntia Milpa Alta (MAPs) on mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in cerebrum cortex after 2VO/R (middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion) injury in rat by qRT-PCR.METHODS SD male rats were randomly divided into sham-operated, ischemiareperfusion, MAPs 200 mg·kg-1 group.The 2VO/R model was made by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion for 15 min and reperfusion 24 h.Total RNA were isolated from cerebrum cortex.We investigated the effect of MAPs on the mRNA expression of BDNF, NR1 and NR2B detected with qRT-PCR.RESULTS Compared with the sham group, BDNF and NR2B mRNA levels decreased (P < 0.05) while NR1 mRNA showed a slight increase (P > O.05) in ischemia-reperfusion group, and they were all significantly up-regulated by treatment with MAPs (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION MAPs treatment can promote to up-regulating the expressions of BDNF and NMDA receptors in genetic transcription levels in the cerebrum cortex, which can give rise to protective effects for ischemic neurons.