The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are involved in neurological functional recovery following cerebral ischemia. Therefore, we hypothesized that mechanisms of neuroprotection by transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) on cerebral ischemia contributed to activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway and enhanced BDNF expression. In the present study, Wortmannin (a specific, covalent inhibitor of PI3K) was administered adjacent to ischemic hippocampus by stereotactic transplantation to further confirm the neuroprotective mechanisms of NSC transplantation following cerebral ischemia. Results showed that focal infarct volume was significantly smaller in the NSCs group, but the neurological behavior score in the NSC group was significantly greater than the middle cerebral artery occlusion model group, Wortmannin treatment group, and NSCs + Wortmannin treatment group. Protein expression of BDNF was significantly greater in the NSC group compared with the Wortmannin treatment group and NSCs + Wortmannin treatment group. These results suggest that the neuroprotective role of NSC transplantation in the cerebral ischemia activated the PI3K/Akt pathway and upregulated BDNF expression in lesioned brains. These phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) / Akt pathway and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are involved in neurological functional recovery following cerebral ischemia. Therefore, we hypothesized that mechanisms of neuroprotection by transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) on cerebral ischemia contributed to activation of the PI3K / Akt pathway and enhanced BDNF expression. In the present study, Wortmannin (a specific, covalent inhibitor of PI3K) was administered adjacent to ischemic hippocampus by stereotactic transplantation to further confirm the neuroprotective mechanisms of NSC transplantation following cerebral ischemia Results showed that focal infarct volume was significantly smaller in the NSCs group, but the neurological behavior score in the NSC group was significantly greater than the middle cerebral artery occlusion model group, Wortmannin treatment group, and NSCs + Wortmannin treatment group. Protein expression of BDNF was significantly greater in the NSC group These results suggest that the neuroprotective role of NSC transplantation in the cerebral ischemia activated the PI3K / Akt pathway and upregulated BDNF expression in lesioned brains.