Nerve growth factor (NGF) was detected by ABC-ELISA in rat normal spinal cord, spinal cord with mild contusion of 25gcm, and that with mild contusion plus a single intramuscular injection of large dose of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) (80 mg/kg). The mean preinjury NGF level in spinal cord was 10.2 +/- 2.8ng/g. Following injury, NGF level in spinal cord began to increase progressively. NGF level in spinal cord without treatment was attenuated to 30.32 +/- 0.32, 89.51 +/- 2.14, 66.02 +/- 1.51, 50.32 +/- 1.23 and 46.23 +/- 1.42ng/g at 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days respectively, while in cord spinal with MPSS treatment it was 121.98 +/- 4.05, 119.56 +/- 1.45, 80.39 +/- 1.50, 68.31 +/- 0.77 and 59.86 +/- 0.97 ng/g at 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, respectively. This result suggests that a single large dose of MPSS enhances NGF level in injured spinal cord with a peak at day 4. The implication of this article is that the changes of NGF level in spinal cord are relevant to spinal cord self-recovery.