Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) on growth situation and bone marrow hematopoietic function in rats under chemotherapy. Methods A total of 136 10-week-old SD rats were included in the study. The rats were randomly assigned into five groups: normal control group (n=8), normal saline control group (NS group, n=32), human growth hormone group (hGH group, n=32), chemotherapeutic drug treated group (CT group, n=32), and chemotherapeutic drug plus hGH treated group (CT+hGH group, n=32). The body weight, bone marrow differential count, and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in bone marrow were measured before treatment and weekly in four weeks after treatment. Results Weight loss occurred in both CT group and CT+hGH group (P＜0.05), but the weight loss in CT+hGH group was significantly smaller (P＜0.05) on day 7 after treatment. In myeloid morphology, myeloid cell was hypoplastic excessively in CT group, and it was hypoplastic obviously in CT+hGH group on day 7 after treatment. Day 14, weight gain appeared in CT+hGH group, while weight loss remained in CT group; In myeloid morphology, myeloid cell was hyperplastic actively excessively in CT+hGH group, and myeloid karyote count was increased significantly in CT+hGH group (P＜0.05). Day 7, 14 and 21, PCNA positive cells count in CT group was lower than that in hGH group and CT+hGH group (P＜0.05). There was no significant different of every index among normal control group, NS group, and hGH group (Pgt;0.05), except weight between normal control group and hGH group on day 7 (P＜0.05). Conclusion hGH has a protective effect on myeloid hematopoietic function and growth situation in rats after intraperitoneal chemotherapy.