ObjectiveTo explore the effect of fingolimod (FTY720) on secondary nerve injury after thalamic-ventricle hemorrhage (TH-IVH) in rats.MethodsAdult male Sprague Dawley rats (clean animal) were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham group, TH-IVH group, and intervention group (FTY720 group), with 6 rats in each group. TH-IVH model was established in both TH-IVH group and FTY720 group, but only the rats in FTY720 group were treated with FTY720. The observation was conducted at the 1st, 3rd and 7th day after modeling. The main observation index included scores of neurological function, change of body weight, water content of brain tissue, the activation of inflammatory cells, the degree of neuronal degeneration and apoptosis, and the level of cell autophagy.ResultsAt the 1st, 3rd and 7th day after modeling, the change of body weight, the neurological score, brain edema and microglia activation in TH-IVH group were statistically different from those in sham group and FTY720 group (P<0.05). The number of degenerated neurons and the number of apoptotic cells in TH-IVH group were statistically different from those in sham group and FTY720 group at the 1st and 3rd day after modeling (P<0.05). The differences in the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ protein expression andBcl-2/Bax expression were statistically significant between FTY720 group and TH-IVH group at the 1st and 3rd day after modeling (P<0.05).ConclusionsFTY720 can improve neurological function of the TH-IVH model in the acute phase, and has certain neuroprotective effect. The neuroprotective effect of FTY720 may be associated with neuronal autophagy and apoptosis regulation and immunosuppression.