In the present study, we investigated the dynamic expression of fibroblast growth factor 8 and Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway related factors in the process of in vitro hippocampal neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation from embryonic Sprague-Dawley rats or embryonic Kunming species mice, using fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and western blot analyses. Results demonstrated that the dynamic expression of fibroblast growth factor 8 was similar to fibroblast growth factorreceptor 1 expression but not to other fibroblast growth factor receptors. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor 8 and Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway protein factors were secreted by neural cells into the intercellular niche. Our experimental findings indicate that fibroblast growth factor 8 and Sonic Hedgehog expression may be related to the differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells. In the present study, we investigated the dynamic expression of fibroblast growth factor 8 and Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway related factors in the process of in vitro hippocampal neural stem / progenitor cell differentiation from embryonic Sprague-Dawley rats or embryonic Kunming species mice, using a fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and western blot analyzes. Results of the dynamic expression of fibroblast growth factor 8 were similar to fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 expression but not to other fibroblast growth factor receptors. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of that fibroblast growth factor 8 and Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway protein factors were secreted by neural cells into the intercellular niche. Our Experimental findings indicate that fibroblast growth factor 8 and Sonic Hedgehog expression may be related to the differentiation of neural stem / progenitor cells.